The National Volunteer Fire Council offers important tips for pet owners on potential risks and how to keep you and your pets safe.

Extinguish open flames – pets are generally curious and will investigate cooking appliances, candles or even a fire in the fireplace.

Pet proof your home – take a walk around your home and look for potential trouble spots where pets might inadvertently start a fire. Check stove knobs, loose wires and other potential hazards.

Secure young pets – keep young pets, especially puppies, confined when you are away from home.

Keep pets near entrances – when leaving pets home alone, keep them near room entrances where firefighters can easily find them.

Practice escape routes with pets – keep collars and leashes at the ready in case you have to evacuate quickly with your pet. It also helps to have these handy if firefighters have to rescue your pet.

Affix a “Pet Alert Window Cling” – record the number of pets inside your house and attach the static cling to a front window. This alerts rescuers that a pet could be inside and saves time when searching the house in an emergency.

You can obtain a free window cling at http://www.adt.com/pets.

Keep your information updated – Firefighters are familiar with pet alert window clings so be sure to keep the number of pets listed current.

Consider using monitored smoke detection services – In addition to battery operated smoke detectors, connect smoke detectors to a monitoring center. This helps give pets at home alone, that have no escape, a better chance of being rescued.

This column is provided by the faculty of the OSU Veterinary Hospital. The large volume of questions does not allow us to directly respond to specific email questions so please watch for your answer in the column. Email your questions for the column to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and watch for your answer.