Fire safety! What does that mean to you? Well, it would depend on your family’s specific needs. Who does your household family consist of? Your spouse? Kids? Parents? Roommates? Pets? (Oh shoot, pets!) Yes, there needs to be a fire safety plan in place for your pets as well! Pets are family members too, so let’s dive into how to best help them and prepare them in case of a house fire.
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. The first line of defense, prevention! Just like you would childproof your home, pet-proof your home. Especially with puppies, and young animals in general. Don’t leave burning candles unattended, same goes for fireplaces. Routinely check your wires, make sure your pets aren’t chewing them, that they’re loose, or even frayed, and keep them out of reach when possible. Pets have even been known to turn the knobs on a stove/oven, and cause a fire! You can never be too careful.
Accidents happen. If there is a fire, what is your plan of action? PRACTICE your safety drills, make it muscle memory. Designate members of the family to grab certain pets on their way out of the house (If it’s safe to do so of course). One of the benefits of kenneling your dogs is that you know where they are. If they’re in a kennel next to your bed, it’s that much easier to leash them and get out. You don’t know where the fire will start, you don’t know how fast it will spread. It’s not ideal to be running all around the house searching for your dogs. Your dogs who will already be scared, unfocused, and hesitant. Things can become hectic, and you only have so long to get everybody out of the house.
Things may not go as planned. Have a plan B. What if you can’t leash your dog and get them out with you, what if they bolt out the front door and keep running? Are your pets microchipped? Do you have updated photos of them? Be ready to alert neighbors, vets, etc. if your pets get loose.
Here at Kuykendall's Border Collies, we understand the importance of raising livestock. Some families might have livestock to care for, which can certainly add extra responsibility to animal owners. What will happen to them in the event of a fire? Surprisingly, wet hay can actually catch fire. It has to do with the bacteria inside the hay reproducing and releasing heat to increase the temperature. Try to avoid storing the baled hay near where your livestock reside.
The bottom line, be vigilant. Research, prep, check smoke detectors often. Have a way to prove ownership of your animals, and an emergency fund for vet expenses. But most importantly, should something happen, don’t blame yourself. Find comfort in knowing that you’re prepared. Unfortunate circumstances happen to the best of people. Do your best, and go easy on yourself. We all want the best for our animals.
Stay safe out there!
For more information about Kuykendall's Border Collies, please click HERE.
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