[Njagdu] Canine Corner: Fire safety tips for dog owners

[Ginger Kutsch]

Canine Corner: Fire safety tips for dog owners

Colin Glass, Community Contributor 

marconews.com 

Posted May 5, 2010 at 2:13 p.m.

 

Your pets are treasured family members and need protection as much as your
own family in the event of fire. Sadly, some 500,000 pets are affected by
fires each year, and more than 40,000 of them die.

 

Most fire victims die from smoke asphyxiation. A fire needs oxygen to burn,
so lack of oxygen or inhaling smoke is more often the killer than the fire
itself.

 

Following are some tips to help you know what to do to prevent fires and if
a fire breaks out in your home:

 

-- Be sure you have working smoke detectors on every level of the home.

 

-- Place detectors near bedrooms and in the kitchen, either on the ceiling
or 6 to 12 inches below the ceiling on the wall, well away from air vents.

 

-- Be sure detectors are in good working order. Mark your calendar to remind
yourself to check the batteries regularly (for example, at the start of a
new season).

 

-- Another smart home safety measure is to install a carbon monoxide
detector in your home. Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that can cause
severe illness or death to both people and pets.

 

-- Have an emergency exit plan that includes your pets, and practice the
plan regularly. Once a fire starts, it spreads rapidly, so everyone should
know what to do to escape.

 

-- Affix window decals around your home so rescue workers know there are
pets inside. Decals can be obtained from your local Bark Busters trainer,
the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or your local
fire department.

 

-- Fire experts report that many dogs perish in fires because they are
confined in a crate or room and cannot escape. Be sure your fire plan
accounts for crated dogs.

 

-- Keep leashes at hand so you can leash your dog to prevent him from
escaping in panic.

 

-- Keep pets on a ground floor of your home to make rescue easier.

 

-- Keep hallways and exits free of clutter to allow you to get out of a
burning house more safely.

 

-- Make sure pets always wear current identification. Consider subscribing
to a service like 1-800-HELP-4-PETS, whose Pet Protector System will help to
reunite you and your pet if he becomes lost (www.Help4Pets.com).

 

-- Research a safe place to take your pets. Ask friends or relatives if they
can shelter you and your pets, and check with local pet-boarding facilities,
humane societies and animal shelters.

 

-- Assemble a dog disaster kit with dog food and his medications, copies of
his health records, your veterinarian's phone number and list of facilities
you can take your pet, recent photo taken of you with your dog, favorite toy
or bedding, and extra leash and collar affixed with the pet's I.D.

 

-- Give a key to a trusted neighbor, and make sure he knows where the dog
might be located within the house so he can inform firefighters.

 

-- Ask your local fire department if the fire trucks carry pet oxygen masks.
If they don't, ask neighborhood pet owners to join you in making a donation
to buy masks for the fire department.

 

-- Listen to your dog! Canines have a keen sense of smell and can detect
smoke long before humans. If your dog is acting strangely, look into the
situation promptly and be prepared to gather your family and follow your
evacuation plan.

 

-- If you must evacuate and can't find your dog in the house, leave an
outside door open and then call your dog's name once you get out. He may be
able to hear you and escape.

 

-- If your dog was in a smoke-filled building or if you can smell smoke on
his fur, take him to your veterinarian. Toxic fumes can be deadly.

 

-- Prevent fires from happening by ensuring your dog doesn't have access to
dangerous combustible items.

 

-- Keep electrical wires and batteries out of your pet's reach. Chewing or
biting anything electrical can cause him shock or burns, or could start a
fire.

 

-- Don't leave lighted candles unattended. A lit candle knocked over by a
swinging tail can burn your pet or cause a fire.

 

- - -

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/njagdu_nfbnet.org/attachments/20140617/b1f2d2b8/attachment.html>