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The Dangers of Pet Doors
Filed under: Health & Safety: Babies
Make sure Fido is the only one using your pet door. Image: sxc.hu
Visions of rabid raccoons tearing through my house have prevented me from ever having a pet door, but there is an even better reason to think twice about installing one: Child safety. According to new research, more than 100 children have died or been seriously injured in the past ten years after squeezing through pet doors and ending up outside alone.
When Carole Rafone's 2-year-old son Matthew got out of the house via a pet door, he made his way straight to the backyard swimming pool where he drowned. She is now suing the manufacturer of PetSafe doors because she believes that they had an obligation to warn parents of this danger on their product packaging and instructions.
Regardless of who is to blame for Matthew's death, tragedies such as this are all too common. Statistics show that unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for children under the age of fourteen and these injuries escalate during the summer months.
With summer break fast approaching, now is the time to think about preventing your child from becoming a statistic. Even if you think you've got it covered, it might be a good idea to check out some of these summer safety tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
- Pool safety
- Home Playground safety
- Bicycle safety including how to choose the right helmet and a myth and fact sheet.
- Lawn mower safety
For more tips and statistics on child safety, check out the Safe Kids U.S.A website as well as their 2007 Safe Kids U.S. Summer Safety Ranking Report.
And if you have small children and must have a pet door, consider an electronic one that opens only when activated by a remote device attached to your pet's collar.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
5-20-2009 @ 10:42AM
bryan said...I have a dog door...and a toodler. Never did I fool myself into thinking that Tony wouldn't try to crawl out the dog door. I don't see how that is the manufacture's resposibilty to remind me to baby proof my house. It's like McDonalds warning people that their hot coffee is hot. I feel for their tradegy, but don't blame the makers of a product that makes a hole in your house for you not thinking your child would crawl through that hole.
Reply
6-16-2009 @ 12:48PM
Dave said...And aren't pools supposed to have some sort of protective barrier around them if you have children? It was probably taken down after the inspection was completed.
5-21-2009 @ 8:49AM
Heather said...That is also why they make them with a lock. There is a magnet "key" that attaches to the pets collar. The magnet allows the door to open with out the magnet it stays closed.
Reply
5-21-2009 @ 11:21AM
DogsMom said...I am sorry for the loss of that dear child, but to sue the dog door manufacturers is meaningless. It will not ease their sorrow or return their child. Why did they not have a fence around the pool? Will they also sue the pool manufacturer?
Who was responsible for watching the child? It only takes a couple seconds for any child to get into something, or away from somewhere. For example the children who crawl into the stuffed animal delivery games at the store.
Raising awareness is noble, but to seek financial benefits...
What about the parents who don't read the warnings on the packages?
5-24-2009 @ 3:47PM
Noah Lieske said...It's not about the dangers of pet doors; it's about parents responsibility to watch a child.
Reply