Fire Safety and Pets

No one ever knows when a fire will strike. Everyone says it can not happen to them. That is exactly what we thought. In June 2006 when I was coming home from work I received the horrible call from my daughter that our house was on fire and all but 2 of our animals were still inside. Luckily the firemen rescued all of our cats and our 1 dog still inside. The kitten above was rescued by the fireman. He is now OK and living the good life in AZ. We were lucky, all of our animals survived and no one was hurt. We lost everything else in the fire but feel fortunate the firemen could find all the pets. Other people are not so lucky. We now have a different plan of action for our animals, especially if we are not home. We were fortunate my daughter came home from work, saw the fire, called 911 and then could tell the firemen where the cats may be located in the house. Luckily we do not cage or crate our animals. This helped them get as far away from the fire as they could. They huddled together for safety allowing the firemen to easily find them. Below is a list of items to consider for the safety of your pets in an emergency. This is just a sample of simple procedures we now follow. I am sure as things come up I will be adding to this list.

	Be sure that your pets are part of your organized evacuation plan. Rehearse your plan repeatedly with your family, including your pets.
	Assemble a pet disaster kit including: a supply of your pet's food, water, vaccination records and medications, emergency contact information including your veterinarian’s number, a favorite toy and an extra leash and collar with identification for any dogs and carriers for cats. If you have no carriers for your small animals pillowcases can be used to help get the smaller animals safely out of the house.
	Listen to your pet! Animals have the ability to smell smoke long before humans. If your pet is acting strangely, look into the situation promptly and be prepared to gather your family and follow your evacuation plan.
	Fire experts say the number-one reason animals perish in fires is because they are confined to their pens or cages and can not escape. Be sure your fire plan accounts for crated dogs and caged cats.
	Research pet organizations in your area ahead of time, so you will have a place to board your animals in case of an emergency.
	Increase the chances of your animal's rescue by putting a sticker on your door reading, "ANIMALS INSIDE. IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, PLEASE RESCUE" Other good info to add to this is the type of animals and how many of each.
	When not at home, keep your animals on the ground floor so they will be easier to rescue.
	If your animal was in a smoke-filled building, or if you can smell smoke on its fur, take it to your veterinarian for review. Toxic fumes can be deadly. Bathe Immediately and repeat if necessary!
	Give a key to a trusted neighbor, and make sure they know where the animals might be located within the house so they can inform firefighters.
	Microchip your animal. If your animal gets lost during a fire, a microchip will increase your chances of being reunited.
	Be sure to have working smoke detectors on every level of the home and near bedrooms, and keep hallways and home exits free of clutter.

Click for Pictures of our fire damage and the rebuild of our house