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WHO LOOKS AFTER YOUR DOG IN AN EMERGENCY?

Posted on December 4, 2018 by Admin under Care for your dog in an emergency

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And how would anyone know… ?

This was a very sensible question asked recently by the charity, Dog A.I.D. (Assistance in Disability), who assist people with physical disabilities to improve their quality of life by helping them train their own pet dogs to provide assistance with day-to-day tasks and, in some circumstances, providing life-saving interventions.

Dog A.I.D. are currently working with a local ambulance service to see if there is a protocol which can be developed to ensure provisions are made for dogs in the case of emergencies involving their owners.

As a trainer with Dog A.I.D., when I saw this article it made me think that this could also of course happen to any dog owner, particularly someone living alone, whatever their age.

Possible solutions

Some solutions to this, I thought, may be:

  • Have an ICE (In Case of Emergency) number of a friend on your dog’s I.D. tag (if needs be then have a second tag with this information on – for a second tag you can buy a lighter weight acrylic tag ( www.identitag.co.uk ).
  • Indigo Tags ( www.indigocollartags.com ) are a good online company which makes a variable size of tags and this link will take you to their tags which slide onto collars.
  • If necessary, as well as your usual ICE number in your mobile phone, have a second one which says ‘ICE DOG’ (although of course if the keypad is locked this will not help).
  • Have a sticker on the reverse of your mobile phone with both your usual ICE number and ICE DOG number making it clear that there is a dog at home which needs caring for.
  • Have an ICE note put in a prominent place in your home, such as the fridge door, which will include the name of the person able to care for your dog in an emergency (and even the name of the kennels you would prefer to be used if no-one is available).
  • Keep a note of the ICE DOG details in your wallet or purse, again, making it clear that there is a dog at your home which needs caring for.

Final words

I have had two accidents in the home in the last week where I was lucky not to have suffered broken bones or concussion.   These things happen so do please get your dog’s ICE information made available in case of an emergency and hopefully they will never be needed.

Oh yes, and, please do not text while driving!

© Sally Bartlett
www.co-operativecanines.co.uk