June 15th has been deemed National Pet Fire Safety Day to raise awareness of the many pets affected by home fires. With the warm summer months upon us and cookouts happening all over, we have some preventative tips to help keep your animal friends safe!

Window Sticker
Many online retailers or pet stores have pet fire safety stickers that are a quick and inexpensive purchase. These stickers can be placed on the exterior of your home somewhere, likely an entrance, and can notify neighbors or firefighters that there are pets inside the home. If you are not home and they have to show up in an emergency, they will be aware of pets in the home that need to be rescued.

Be Specific
It’s very important to firefighters, if there is a fire in the home, to be specific about who or what is inside. Whether you write this on the window sticker, or you tell them in person if you’re there, make sure they know what they are looking for. Your pet may be a snake in its tank, a dog that is roaming the home, or a cat in the bedroom. They can act quicker and know what to find if they are aware of what it is.

Extinguish Candles
We love a good candle after cleaning or for ambiance, but don’t forget to blow it out before leaving the house or leaving that area for a prolonged period. Try putting the candle somewhere very noticeable so you don’t forget, or think about purchasing some flameless candles. Flameless candles can be helpful for curious pets that may knock it over. They can also eliminate the chance that the candle burns all the way down and catches on other things in the area.

Keep Your Pets in Safe Areas
Take some time to walk around your home and notice any potential fire hazards. If there is a way to reduce the risks of these areas, such as removing knobs from a stove or turning off any hazardous appliances, you can do that before leaving the home for a long time. If there is a particular area that may be potentially harmful, keep your pets in a separate room or out of that area. Another option could be to crate your pet somewhere where they cannot get into something dangerous and at the same time allow firefighters to find them immediately.

This National Pet Fire Safety Day, we want to raise awareness for you and your clients to not only prevent fires in the home but keep your pets safe, too. Some of these simple and quick preventative measures can be potentially lifesaving.