One Half Million Dogs And Cats Unnecessarily Killed In House Fires Each Year, All Preventable!

More than 1.7 million uncontrolled home fires occur annually in the US

. The Fire Administration does not keep tally, but other groups have estimated that more than 500,000 pets are killed by house fires each year; even though smoke detectors were installed.

Our pets are more often than not an integral part of our family. For many, pets are the only family and represent a very important relationship. There are several things you can do to reduce the chances of losing your pet in a home fire. Read on, then take action! Keep your pet safe by keeping your home safe.

1. Designate one family member who would be responsible for each pet.

2. Assemble a pet disaster kit including: a supply of food, water, vaccination records and medications for your pets, emergency contact information, a favorite toy and an extra leash and collar with identification for any dogs and carriers for cats. If you have no carriers for your small animals, pillowcases can be used to help get the smaller animals safely out of the house.

3. Listen to your pet! Animals have the ability to smell smoke long before humans. If your pet is acting strangely, look into the situation promptly.

4. Fire experts say many animals perish in fires because they are confined to their pens or cages. Be sure your fire plan accounts for this.

5. Use a Pet Alert rescue sticker to help make firefighters aware of your pets.

6. Install a monitored fire protection system in your home that will not only alert the fire department if a fire occurs while you are gone, but be sure it is a system that has the ability to call neighbors, so someone can get there quickly to let the pets out. Be sure that your neighbors know the pets, their names, and where they are in the home. From a few companies, these types of systems are very affordable today and often you will get enough of a discount on your homeowners insurance to cover the monitoring fees.

Thousands of Pets Die In Kennel Fires Too!

It is not just home fires you need to plan for to protect your pets. Thousands of pets are killed every year in kennel fires. Most people give careful consideration to the luxury aspect of the kennel, yet give little thought to the type of fire protection the boarder has in place.

I have spent my entire career in the home fire safety industry, yet when my wife and I left for a 2 week trip to Florida 15 years ago, we scheduled our sheltie and cocker spaniel to stay in a local kennel. At the last minute, a friend offered to stay at our home while we were gone, so we canceled our reservations for our dogs at the kennel.

While we were in Florida, we were watching the evening news and they showed pictures of a kennel that caught fire and all the pets were killed in that fire. It was the kennel that we had planned to leave our pets! You can imagine some of the emotions that my wife and I felt when we saw that news report. I cannot imagine what we would have been feeling if our pets would have been there!

From that day forward, quality fire protection and a good escape plan have become a priority when considering leaving our pets! Many pet boarders have considered this and have taken action to protect their guests. Be sure your boarder has taken a proactive approach to fire safety when considering where your pets stay.

Knowing this information helps, but unless you take action, nothing will change. Use this as a guide to take action now, before this happens to your pets.

by: Bill Driscoll

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