We all love our pets. If you are a pet owner, chances are you’ve thought about what would happen to your furry friend in the event of a fire. Today, 15th of July is National Pet Safety Day, so we are going to talk about how you can keep your pets safe from fire and fire related hazards around home. And we will also talk about ways to help ensure your pets’ safety.
Just as it is the case for humans, burn injuries are some of the most severe and complex injuries animals can sustain. Countless web pages and research articles online detail the different ways that pets can get burn injuries and how those burns can be treated.
We will list some important tips to help keep your pet safe from burns and other injuries, as well as injuries that can result from exposure to fire, smoke, hot objects and electrical hazards.
1. Keep pets away from open flames and hot objects.
These could include candles, lamps, space heaters, stoves and other cooking equipment. Don’t forget that pets are curious and they may try to inspect these things or accidentally bump into them. This could not only burn them but also lead to a fire.
2. Keep electrical cords out of reach.
Keep an eye on pets to make sure they don’t chew through electrical cords. If you find some wires that look like they have been chewed on by your pet it’s time to replace them and move to a location where your pet is less likely come into contact with them.
3. Be wildfire ready.
If you live in an area where wildfires are a risk include your pets in your family evacuation plan. This could be as simple as packing a small lightweight kit for each pet that includes food, medicine and other essentials like treats, bowls, leashes, toys.
4. Secure your fireplace.
If you have a fireplace consider establishing a pet-free zone extending about a meter from that fireplace. Also keep in mind that chimney vents that are located outdoors can get extremely hot and you should keep your pets away from those as well.
5. This is the most important and may be the hardest tip of all.
If you do experience a home fire, don’t go back inside a burning building for your pet. This can be a different advise to follow because our pets are considered beloved members of our families. If you can lead them out at the same time you make your exit without jepordising your ability to get out safely that’s fine, but don’t spend any additional time trying to get them out. Especially when you have as little as 2 minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds.
