Dog Living A lifestyle magazine for dog lovers
Home fire safety and emergency evacuation plans have become a staple in American households but many plans might not account for every member of your family. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 40,000 pets die each year because of fires.
In honor of Fire Prevention Week from October 5-11, Petplan pet insurance tapped three Pet and fire safety experts: Dr. Jules Benson, Petplan’s Chief Veterinary Medical officer, Michael Miller, Petplan’s Director of Business Development and Haddon Fire Company Lieutenant, and Jen Leary, founder of Red Paw Emergency Relief Team to provide important tips to make sure your four-legged family members are safe and accounted for if disaster strikes.
Tips are listed below and click on the image to the left for more statistics on home fires.
Fire Prevention Week Pet Tips
- Information is Everything: When disaster strikes, firefighters need information fast when they arrive at your home. Make sure to post the names and count of all pets in the home, or if your home is monitored by an alarm company, make sure they have the information to pass along to first responders. Petplan offers a customizable Pet Rescue Alert that allows you to post this important information on your front door.
- Keep it Low: Confine pets to one room or the first floor of your home when you are away.
- Make them Known: Have updated ID tags on all animals in the home and get them microchipped so that if they run out during a fire, they can be quickly identified should they get picked up be a neighbor or animal control.
- Be Mindful: Things like candles, portable heaters and open fires can all be extreme fire hazards around pets and should never be left around unattended furry friends.
- Be Ready for a Quick Exit: Have an evacuation plan in place that includes your pets and be sure to have leashes and carriers at the ready. If you’re unable to get to carriers, remember that a pillowcase can make an emergency cat carrier.
- Know Where Help Is: Ensure that you know where your nearest emergency vet is, and have the number and address in your phone.
About Petplan
Petplan is more than a pet insurance company. We’re dedicated to providing pet parents with the support, resources and tools they need to keep their pets not just surviving—but thriving—into their old age. Simply put, we aim to be the kind of company that will make our pets proud. Petplan is the only pet insurance company to have been included on Inc. Magazine’s list of 500 fastest-growing, privately held companies in America. For the second consecutive year, Petplan was listed among the top 50 companies on Forbes’ annual ranking of America’s Most Promising Companies – a list of 100 privately held, high-growth companies with bright futures. Petplan’s fully customizable dog insurance and cat insurance policies provide comprehensive coverage for all hereditary and chronic conditions for the life of the pet as standard. Petplan policies are underwritten by AGCS Marine Insurance Company in the U.S. and by Allianz Global Risks US Insurance Company in Canada. The Allianz Group was rated A+ by A.M. Best in 2012. For more information about Petplan pet insurance, visit www.gopetplan.com, read the Petplan Vets for Pets blog or call 1-866-467-3875.
