Burn Notice: Petplan Reveals the Three Biggest Fire Safety Mistakes Pet Parents Make

Burn Notice: Petplan Reveals the Three Biggest Fire Safety Mistakes Pet Parents Make

07/05/17

With Pet Fire Safety Day on July 15, pet insurance provider says failures in prevention and planning put pets’ health in peril

Newtown Square, PA (July 5, 2017) – Having a pet can be a real learning curve, but there’s one aspect of pet parenthood that leaves no room for error: fire safety for four-legged friends. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that more than 500,000 pets are affected by home fires each year, and Petplan pet insurance says average costs for burns and smoke inhalation can range from $440 to nearly $3,000.*

With Pet Fire Safety Day approaching on July 15, Petplan is raising awareness about prevention and planning for emergencies, and revealed the most common fire-safety mistakes people make:

Mistake 1: Forgetting the first line of defense.

Petplan says prevention is the most important part of fire safety with four-legged friends, and many pet parents overlook these rules of thumb:

Mistake 2: Not having an exit plan.

Petplan says every home should have an evacuation plan for their pets, but this is one safety measure many pet parents skip:

Mistake 3: Not planning for when pets are home alone.

The scary truth is that pet parents aren’t always home when a fire starts, leaving pets especially vulnerable to injury. Petplan encourages pet parents to:

“No one wants to imagine a fire threatening their home — let alone the life of their pets”, says Natasha Ashton, co-founder and co-CEO of Petplan. “But preparedness is power, and every pet parent should do their due diligence to ensure pets are as safe and protected as possible. If you’re not making any of the mistakes above, then paw it forward by donating or fundraising on behalf of your local fire department to purchase pet oxygen masks. In most states, emergency responders lack the equipment to resuscitate pets. The next best thing to saving your own pet’s life could be saving your neighbor’s.”

 

For more pet health tips and safety info, and to fetch a free, customizable pet rescue alert, visit gopetplan.com/blog/posts/fire-safety.

 

* according to Petplan claims data 2012-2016.

About Petplan

Petplan has built the industry’s leading pet insurance for pet parents who demand a higher pedigree of care for their best friends. We’ve leveraged 40 years of global experience to create completely customizable coverage pet parents can feel confident in, and world-class claims service that operates 24 hours a day, every day.

Petplan’s innovative approach to pet insurance has been recognized by Forbes, Financial Times, Bloomberg, Inc. magazine, Smart CEO, the Communicator Awards, Ernst & Young and many others.

Petplan policies are underwritten in the U.S. by AGCS Marine Insurance Company, a member of the Allianz Group (rated A+ A.M. Best), and XL Specialty Insurance Company; and in Canada by XL Specialty Insurance Company-Canadian Branch. XL Specialty Insurance Company is rated A+ by S&P as of 2017. Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions. For more information about Petplan pet insurance, visit www.gopetplan.com or call 1-866-467-3875.