Pet Safety Lady Stay Safe with Pets for the Holidays

The upcoming holiday season is an important time to think about pet safety. As December is the culmination of the year, it also is a culmination of all of our work here at Bark Buckle UP. The end of the year is a time filled with travel, eating, and illumination - either by electric or firelight - that brings joy to our families, including our furry friends. But we must always be prepared for accidents and take precautions to protect our pets as we would our families.

During the holidays, we travel distances far and wide to see our friends and families, and often take our pets along for the festivities. It is so important to make sure your pet is safely secured in a carrier, if you choose to travel by plane, or in a carrier or NHTSA-tested harness secured by safety straps if you choose to travel by car. Unfortunately train travel is limited to non-existent, since Amtrak does not allow pets on trains due to unregulated baggage car conditions, except for service dogs. For more information on Amtrak's service dog policy, please go to their website. For more information on how to secure your pet in your vehicle, please check out our YouTube Channel where you'll find easy-to-follow videos. To see what is required by individual airlines for flying with your pet, either in cabin or as checked luggage, please visit BringFido.com, which has a great compilation of airline pet policies on its site. Lastly, if you don't know which pet carriers, straps and harnesses are NHTSA-tested, check out Bark Buckle UP's tested list of pet products at BarkBuckleUP.com. Please don't ever travel with your pet unsecured in your lap or in an untested product - it is so easy to prevent a travel tragedy this holiday season by being educated and making sure to secure your pet.

Holidays aren't just about travel. We all look forward to the decorations and platters of food that welcome us into this festive time. But we mustn't forget that our pets can't have everything we can. I remember one holiday many years ago when our German Shepherd, Boomer, jumped onto the kitchen counter and devoured an entire pan of fudge. Boomer became very ill and after calling the vet, we had to force the fudge back up (no small task with a sick, 120-pound dog). Boomer was fine after a few days, but it was a close call. Make sure you are prepared for accidents like Boomer's with your pet's emergency information, your vet's phone number, and poison control's number on hand so that if your pet consumes something that makes them sick, you can act quickly. Check out the American Association of Poison Control Centers' website to find your local Poison Control Center's contact information and the ASPCA's site for common household poisonous items. Please remember that foods aren't the only items that could make pets sick - Christmas tree water that has been treated with preservatives, and floral bouquets are also common poisons to both Fido and Kitty. So keep them out of reach by covering your tree stand and by keeping flowers out of paw's reach.

The same goes for candles and fireplaces. December is unfortunately a month that sees many residential fires from candles, cooking fires and faulty Christmas lights. Make sure open flames are monitored and that your fireplace screen is in place. Be prepared ahead-of-time for an emergency evacuation of your home by having a family evacuation plan in place that includes an easily accessible pet carrier containing your pet's vitals. In case there is a fire, and your pet can't be found in time to get out safely, make sure first responders know your pet's information. Also, you can still help donate to support your local fire department's drive to have pet oxygen masks on hand in case your pet suffers from smoke inhalation from a fire in your home. You can also email Bark@BarkBuckleUP.com to see if your local agency has already received pet oxygen masks. Since oxygen masks are not designed for snouts, it is nearly impossible for first responders to get a good seal on standard masks and pets can't get the oxygen they need. With the help of SurgiVet, we hope to get masks in first responders hands in hopes of saving lives.

By being prepared and educated this holiday season, you can keep your trips and homes accident free, therefore keeping your pets safe so they can receive their gifts of chew-bones and catnip mice without a care in their furry little heads. Happy Holidays to you and yours from Bark BuckleUP.

Pet Safety Lady and Volvo XC60

Pet Safety Lady testing the Volvo XC60 with the new safety feature called City Safety this car actually stops itself.

What a ride!

National Preparedness for Pets Too

National Preparedness Month goes for the family pets too. Press conference guest speakers were Kathy Davis LA Animal Services, Mani Torres Battalion Chief Santa Monica Fire Department, Greg Baek PIO Los Angeles Police Department and Christina Selter Pet Safety Lady & Founder of Bark Buckle UP.

Be prepared is the message include your pets in your plans for any emergency or evacuation.

Do Not Wait Until Disaster Strikes To Be Prepared November is National Preparedness Month Goes for the family pet too

The PETS Act of 2006 (Pet Evacuation & Transportation Standards Act) requires local and state emergency preparedness authorities to include in their evacuation plans how they will accommodate household pets and service animals in the event of a major disaster or evacuation.

Kathy Davis with Los Angeles Animal Services stated, “Do not wait until disaster strikes to be prepared. Plan now for where you will take your pet and insure that you have vaccination records and a carrying cage ready for the next event. If your pet has a special diet or requires medication, keep a supply ready to go.”

The shelters are flooded each year with lost or abandon family pets. EVAC centers are not able to accommodate pets without the proper carriers.

“It’s up to you to be prepared and by planning ahead to insure your pets’ health and safety helps the whole community to be safer. Keep all of your emergency items in a small carrier or duffle bag near your crate or travel safety gear for easy access. In an emergency, you can then simply grab your Pet Pack and go!” Pet Safety Lady Christina Selter.

“Always remember, if you evacuate your home, being prepared insures better safety for the whole family”, stated Battalion Chief Jose Torres with the Santa Monica Fire Department.

DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PETS BEHIND!
• More than 500,000 pets are effected by fires each year and evacuations
• Over 40,000 pets each year die of smoke asphyxiation
• Losing a pet due to evacuation can be a devastating experience
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About LA Animal Services: The predecessor to the Los Angeles Animal Services Department of today was formed by ordinance in 1947. With the General Manager as executive, the Department is under the control of a Board of Commissioners, with five members appointed by the Mayor, and by the City Council of Los Angeles. A current organization chart of the Department is found below. For more information about the organization of Los Angeles City government, you may wish to review the City Clerk’s brochure, your Government at a Glance. http://cityclerk.lacity.org/cps/pdf/govtglnc.pdf

About Pet Safety Lady, Bark 10-4, Bark Buckle UP: Christina Selter, “Pet Safety Lady,” works closely with Fire, Police, Coast Guard and EMT personnel who support the safety program and has been featured at International Auto Shows, Pet Expos, Television, Radio, News Articles and guest speaking engagements nationwide. She is the founder of Bark Buckle UP the recognized innovative leader and experts in pet travel safety. Bark Buckle UP educates and promotes awareness for pet safety while traveling with our pets and Bark 10-4 that helps fire departments nationwide obtain the Pet Oxygen Masks to help save pets lives. http://www.petsafetylady.com and for high res photos email Bark@BarkBuckleUP.com