Pool Safety for Pets
As the owner of a swimming pool, your main priority is most likely the safety of your family or loved ones who swim in your backyard oasis. But what about the safety of one of the most important members of your family: Your pets?
According to Pet Place, an average of 5,000 family pets drown each year in residential swimming pools. One of the best ways to protect your pets is to familiarize them with the water and teach them to swim at a young age. However, Aqua Leisure is here to provide some other tips and advice on how to prep your swimming pool for pet safety so you can keep Fido protected.
Gated Pool – The First Step in Pool Safety
While your pool should already be gated off for the safety of your family, you need to make sure that it cannot allow your pets to pass through or over it. Many small pets can easily fit through wooden or iron fences whose boards or posts have large gaps between them. Other pets, such as large dogs or cats, can easily jump short fences as well. Making sure that your fence is of adequate height and that no animals can fit between any part of it are essential steps towards pool safety for pets. A chainlink fence may be a good choice. Just make sure that your pup can’t dig a hole underneath the fence.
Steps, Not Ladders
When a dog falls into a pool and cannot swim, their first instinct is to claw at the side of the pool to try to get out. It is very difficult for pets to climb up a vertical ladder. When a pool has stairs that are pet-friendly, Fido has a greater chance of being able to safely get out of the pool. Investing in a personal flotation device for your pet to wear when near the pool is also another way you can prevent a tragedy. Often, pets fatigue while swimming, even if they are trained. This device can keep them afloat even when they can’t hold themselves up.
Strong Pool Covers
Many pool owners have a thin cover over their pool when it is not in use, whether it be to keep debris out or to raise the temperature of the water. These flimsy covers can be dangerous if you own a pet. They may see the cover and think that it is a surface that they can walk on, leading to them getting tangled in it and drowning. The best way to keep Fido safe is by investing in a pool cover that is heavy-duty and durable, secured enough to allow animals to cross it without falling in.
If you do not always have a cover on your pool and worry about the safety of your pets, there are several different types of alarms that can be put in place, whether it be on your pet’s collar or even in the pool itself. These alarms sound when your pet enters the pool, alerting you instantly.
Stay Safe and Cool With Aqua Leisure Pools and Spas – Pool Safety
When it comes to summer, we’re all about safe fun. If you’re looking for pool accessories or a brand new pool, Aqua Leisure Pools and Spas is the leading pool provider that you need. Contact us today for a free quote!
Posted by Aqua Leisure Pools & Spas in Pools