Fire Safety and Your Pet

Here's fuel for thought!

Did you know that an estimated 500,000 pets in the U.S.A. are affected by devastating home fires each year? While similar statistics for Canada are not available, this is still an alarming fact.

In order to address the issue of pet fire safety, the American Kennel Club and ADT Security Services partnered to create “National Pet Fire Safety Day.” (July 15, 2009.) The purpose of this nationwide campaign was to educate pet owners about potential risks when pets are left home alone, as well as provide proven prevention measures to ensure the pet safety.

According to a recent AKC study, 88 percent of pet owners consider their pets to be valued family members so it makes sense to include them in fire prevention plans and rescue alerts should a house fire strike.

“One of the hallmarks of responsible dog ownership is keeping pets safe and planning for unexpected emergencies, including house fires,” said AKC spokesperson Lisa Peterson. “Pet proofing the home, developing pet-friendly escape routes and alerting rescuers of your pets presence with ‘window clings’ is the best way to keep your four-legged family member from harm.”

That’s something Lia Wentworth of Maryland knows well. One Sunday morning she and her family left their Labrador Retriever “Justice” home alone. They didn't realize they left a pot of boiling water with plastic baby bottles on the stove. When the water evaporated, the bottles began to emit a toxic smoke. No one knew Justice was in trouble because there was no flame. Luckily, the Wentworth’s had a monitored smoke detector and the firefighters were alerted. Their prompt response saved Justice's life!

Tips to Keep Pets Safe from House Fires:

Use Monitored Smoke Detectors – Monitored detectors are connected to a monitoring center, providing an added layer of protection beyond battery-operated smoke alarms.

Affix a Pet Alert Window Cling or Sticker – Write down the number of pets inside your house and attach the static cling to a front window. This critical information saves rescuers time when locating your pets. Contact your location humane society or animal services centre... many distribute window clings or stickers free of charge or for a small donation.

Keep Your Information Updated - Firefighters are familiar with pet alert window clings so keep the number of pets listed on them updated. Knowing the accurate number of pets in the house aids rescuers in finding all of your pets.

Get a free "Pet in Home" window cling -- and other free stuff -- from the American SPCA by clicking on the "Fire Safety" heading above. (Yes, they will ship to Canada!) Or check with your local humane society or animal services centre. Many have window clings available free or for a small donation.

Play it Cool With Pets!

The heat is on, so the BC SPCA is urging pet guardians to play it cool.

In addition to not leaving pets in the car at this time of year, pet guardians should use caution when exercising their pets under the sweltering summer sun.

“A lot of dogs will run and play to the point of exhaustion, and it’s the guardian’s responsibility to make sure that doesn’t happen,” says Chortyk. “For example, if you play fetch with your dog, it’s a sure sign to stop when your dog isn’t retrieving the ball as fast as usual, when he refuses to drop the ball for the next throw, or when he tries to catch a break by lying down between throws.”

Chortyk also cautions against cycling with your dog, and if you run with your dog, try to run early in the morning or later in the evening when the sun is lower in the sky. Also, try to stay away from asphalt because it can burn your dog’s foot pads.

“Regardless of the activities you choose to do with your dog, always bring water and the number of a vet with you so that you’re prepared in case of an emergency.”

For signs of heat stroke and emergency first aid see the "Hot Dog!" blog post below.

Stolen Calgary Dog Back HomeSafe

5th August 2009 ~ Calgary Sun

Pinball the purloined Jack Russell Terrier has been returned to his owners safe and sound. The animal, allegedly stolen by a group of teens and beaten on Sunday night, was taken in by a young couple the same evening.

Pinball was stolen from his guardian's Calgary backyard at 9 p.m. Sunday and a short time later, a 15-year-old boy was beaten when he tried to stop a group of teens from tormenting the animal.

Minutes after that, two people out walking their dog found the Jack Russell running at large. They took the dog home then went door-to-door in an attempt to find his owners.

A story about Pinball's theft, on the front page of the Calgary Sun the next day, alerted the rescuers to the dog's plight and they immediately delivered the missing terrier to his grateful family.

Police have charged a 13-year-old with theft under $5,000 and assault, the latter charge stemming form the attack on the 15-year-old.

Pinball’s collar and tag had been removed at the time he was taken from his backyard.

For the full story, click the heading above.

Seifer's Big Adventure

Lost Dog FOUND
Thanks to PetLynx

Seifer, a 13-month old Golden Retriever cross gave his guardians quite a scare last week! The dog was enjoying a run in an off-leash park in Calgary when two dogs began chasing him. When one of the dogs bit Seifer on the leg, he bolted across a busy main road and into a nearby community.

"We called everyone we could [think of]," relayed his distraught guardian, "and a team of ten people searched the community for hours. We reluctantly headed home about 2 a.m., just before a hail storm hit."

Having no luck finding Siefer on foot, they logged onto the Internet, as well as checking with City of Calgary Animal Services, the Calgary Humane Society, and every vet clinic in the city. Another day passed, and they continued to check the animal shelters and "found" ads on Petlynx.

The second day after Seifer ran off, there was a listing from a family saying they had found Seifer and had taken him to a nearby pet hospital. His owners hurried down to retrieve their run-away retriever.

"The moment Seifer came around the corner we all burst out crying tears of joy," recalls his guardian. "[We were so relieved to see] it was him; safe, healthy, and so happy! You never realize how much you miss something until it's gone, and how much joy an animal can bring you. Seifer is truly one of a kind. We cannot express our gratitude enough to Petlynx or the family who took care of him and brought him to the hospital. Thank you!"