The Pet Alert Emergency Information System launches nationwide, a specially-designed kit supported by firefighters and police for emergencies such as; house fires, medical emergencies, natural and man-made disasters all which can happen in the blink of an eye. Regrettably, emergencies do happen, at any time and most people are not prepared for these emergencies, especially when it comes to their pets.
July 15 is the National Pet Fire Safety Awareness Day and in time for this annual initiative, the Pet Alert Emergency Information System is being launched to help pet lovers protect their pets’ safety and aid in their rescue, while also safeguarding first responders by providing proper information, regarding their pets, in a simple and universal format.
The “new” Pet Alert Emergency Information System is supported by the Georgia Fire Chief’s Association and the California State Firefighters' Association and other emergency agencies and is being enthusiastically embraced by the veterinarian community as well.
The Red Cross recommends that everyone should take the necessary steps to ensure their pet’s safety before, during and after any emergency. The founder of Pet Alert, Camy Thumwood, has developed the Pet Alert Emergency Information System to provide all the resources needed to prevent pets from becoming overlooked or fatalities during an emergency situation. This comprehensive kit costs $29.95 and includes many specially-designed items including a safety orange doorknob hanger, automobile mirror tag, RV Dashboard Placard, plus a vital information card to cover pets’ handicap/medical needs. The kit comes with notification cards to advise the pet owner’s local fire stations, police station, animal shelter and animal hospital that they use the Pet Alert System for their database.
Thumwood has worked 21 years in association with firefighters, police, animal shelters and veterinarians and understands that many people think of their pets as family but do not always consider how to prevent the worst, if an accident or disaster takes place.
She comments; “Every day, hundreds of pets are killed or injured because no information is readily available regarding the pet and proper preparations were not made. I have always been an animal lover and developed the first Pet Alert System in California twenty years ago, which was much more basic. But with the encouragement from Fire Chiefs around the county, I was inspired to develop an expanded version of the first Pet Alert Emergency Information System and bring it back for pet owner’s use to provide proper information to first responders in the event an emergency happens to safeguard all pets that could be in danger and became a victim from smoke inhalation, injury or death."
The Humane Society states that 62 percent of households, (around 164 million) now have pets (a higher number than those with children) and emergency agencies need pet owners to start preparing and help guide them by having proper information at hand in case of an emergency should happen.
Thumwood has studied situations of all kinds, including natural and man-made disasters, auto accidents, medical emergencies, and house fires, to ensure the new Pet Alert kit includes the best steps possible for keeping pets safe and alive by following protocol of the first responders’ and providing vital information about the pets themselves. She has also worked personally with firefighters, police, paramedics, highway patrol, veterinarians and animal control officers in training them on how to use the Pet Alert Information System to their safety and benefit the pets.
With the support of these organizations, she has been able to totally redefine pet safety and adds “A window sticker on your house is simply not enough when it comes to the lives and well being of animals and that is why the Pet Alert Emergency Information System kit should be a top priority for any pet lovers’ household. All pets depend on their owners for their lives, health and future, so helping to ensure their safety in emergency situations should be an important part of this care."
“As a long term Fire Chief and member of Incident Management Teams that respond to emergencies around the country, one issue we always deal with is the protection of pets," Don Howard, Fire Chief, Summit Fire and Medical Department, Flagstaff, Ariz. "The Pet Alert Emergency Information System kit is the most comprehensive pet safety program I have ever seen. If all pet owners were to use this kit first of all it would help to protect their pets, and secondly it would help us to help them in more ways the one. I strongly recommend the purchase of the Pet Alert Emergency Information System for pet owners, pets are family, so plan ahead for their safety."
Billy D. Reynolds Sr., Chief of Police at Richmond Hill Police Department, Ga., said; “As a public safety officer, an owner of four Labrador Retrievers and a trainer of gun dogs, I can definitely see the benefit of this kit to anyone who owns a pet.”
“As an experienced veterinarian, my clinic and I have seen the aftermath of these emergencies; from fires and natural disasters, to owners passing away unexpectedly," said Kyle Christiansen, DVM, Cedar Animal Hospital, Ga. "I am pleased to see that the Pet Alert Emergency Information System includes a pet owner’s 'Advance Pet Directive' which covers these situations better than any other system I have been associated with. This directive is a legal document that aids us in following and carrying out the wishes of the pet owner and help in protecting pets by providing predesignated adoption homes for them. Therefore, the pets’ future is not dependent upon their health, age, availability of adoptive home or animal shelter practices.”
Fire Chief Howell of Bryan County Emergency Services writes that the “Pet Alert Emergency Information System” would be a huge benefit to helping first responders find, rescue and save pets.
"We recommend and encourage pet owners to use the Pet Alert System," Howell said.
This is reinforced by Wayne Noha, Chief of Fire Operations – Southside Fire/EMS and Security, Savannah, Ga., who commented; “We are so pleased to be involved with 'Pet Alert.' It is a very sad day when we have to notify a family member that their pet didn’t make it out. A simple notification that we are trained to look for may have saved the family member of this horror. Pets are definitely part of the family and we as a community must protect them. Please consider this valuable program”.
The Pet Alert Emergency Information System is now available for purchase at www.petalert.com. The system costs $29.95 plus shipping and a deluxe version is available for $49.95 which includes a back pack to hold your pet’s 3-day disaster/survival supplies, medications, and documents.
The Deluxe kit also includes a collapsible water/food bowl with a lanyard hook and Maglite, all necessary evacuation tools for your pet’s survival in emergency situations.
