Ways To Celebrate National Animal Safety And Protection Month
October is National Animal Safety and Protection Month, and here at the Duarte Azusa Animal Hospital, our veterinarian are celebrating by sharing information about the things you can do to protect your pets all year long. National Animal Safety and Protection Month was started by the PALS Foundation as an effort to help people learn about their importance and the role animals both domestic and wild play in the ecosystem. Our office is encouraging people to learn more about the PALS Foundation and its important work. We also want to encourage people to learn how they can protect their pets, here are a few of them.
Have Your Dog Microchipped
According to the American Humane Society, over 10 million cats and dogs are reported stolen or lost every year. Sadly many of those pets never see their owners again. The main reason so many animals are not returned to their owners is due to a lack of contact and identifying information. Many people make the false assumption that placing a collar with identifying information around a pet’s neck is all they need to do. It should be noted that many of the animals that are rescued after being lost aren’t wearing a collar. If a pet is microchipped, it improves the chance of you being reunited with them because their identifying information is implanted underneath their skin.
Complete An Animal First Aid Course
If you found yourself in an emergency situation with your pet, would you know what to do to help them? Thousands of pets lose their lives each year because of choking and other emergencies. In many of those instances, they die because their owners don’t know what to do to help them. A first aid training course for pets could literally make the difference in terms of saving your pet.
Make Sure Your Home Is Pet Proof
Pets are curious creatures and they love to explore anything new. Make sure you keep all hazardous materials like cleaners, poisonous foods like chocolate and poisonous plants like poinsettias out of their reach. Make sure you clean antifreeze spills and leaks immediately. Antifreeze is attractive to pets because of its sweet taste, however it is extremely toxic to pets, and fatal.
Embrace Animal Safety and Protection Month
Here at the Duarte Azusa Animal Hospital, we encourage people to embrace National Pet Safety and Protection Month. Take this opportunity to take the kids or grandkids to a local zoo. You can also volunteer to foster a homeless animal. Bring your pet in to see us if they haven't been microchipped. Give us a call at 626-357-2251 today.