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Safety Tips Every Pet Owner Should Know with Kidde Canada

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VANCOUVER -

Pets offer friendship and affection to the families they live with.

Pet owners have a responsilibility to keep their four-legged family members safe. It is important that owners recognize that pets are vulnerable to the same fire risks as people.

Every year, half a million pets suffer from smoke inhalation and 40,000 die due to home fires.

The National Fire Protection Association estimates that nearly 1,000 home fires each year are started by family pets.

About two-thirds of home fire deaths happen in homes without smoke alarms or in homes where those alarms were not operational.

Fire safety educator with Kidde Canada Sharon Cooksey joined CTV Morning Live to share important safety tips every pet owner should know.

  • Pet proofing: New pets are prone to chewing. Cooksey recommends keeping pets in a specific area when they are home alone to keep them out of mischief. Place this area close to the door to make it easier for first responders to remove them quickly to safety in case of emergency.
  • Fire escape plan: Pets should be included in the family evacuation plan. Assign one family member to each pet to assure everyone gets out safely.
  • Test alarms: Smoke alarms need to be replaced every 10 years. Carbon monoxide alarms should be replaced every seven to 10. Both should be tested weekly.
  • Training: The sound of a smoke alarm can cause dogs and cats to become unsettled. They may run or hide, versus make their way to the door. Pet owners should desensitize their canine and feline friends to the sound and train them on how to properly respond to alarms.

Cooksey recommended training videos created by celebrity pet trainer Sara Carson. 

The videos are available at www.kidde.com/petsafety and go over familiarizing pets with the sound of the alarm, pairing the sound with a command and identifiying the name of the appropriate exit.

These skills can ultimately save the life of a pet in an emergency situation.

To learn more pet fire safety tips check out the full video from CTV Morning Live.

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