Fido's Friendly Fit Tip - Keep me safe!

Saturday I was going along with my day when I suddenly saw a dog in distress laying on the sidewalk on a busy street.  I stopped to see if the dog was hurt.  I did not want to approach the dog because if a dog is injured and in pain they could bite.  This could happen EVEN if the dog is a friendly dog and has never bite anyone before.  Cautiously I approached the dog and it got up and walked in the other direction only to lay back down in the shade.  At this point I realized it might not be injured but exhausted and dehydrated.  I eventually got a police officer to contact Animal Control who came out and tried to get the dog.  I hope they caught him and were able to find the owners. 

Then yesterday I am walking my dogs who all three are on their leash.  I see another dog with its owner approaching us.  This dog was off leash coming up to us.  My dog Daisy is not friendly with other dogs so this could potentially be a dangerous situation.  This poor dog off leash could also easily have gotten hit by a car.  I yelled at the owner to put her dog on a leash and she looked at me like I was crazy.

You can take simple steps to keep your pet safe.  This poor dog clearly got lose from the year and in the heat running around without water was in trouble.  The dog approaching us off leash could have gotten injured or worse one of my dogs could have been injured. 

Please take these simple steps to ensure you and your pet are safe:

1. Always keep your dog on a leash.  This should be even when you are on trails, at the lake, and in the mountains.  Don't risk your dog approaching another dog that is not friendly.  Your dog could also easily run off after a critter only to never be seen again.
2. Make sure you have your dog tags on  your mutt at all times.  Also make sure the proper information is on the tags.  Getting your pet chipped in another reassurance if your dog gets loose you will hopefully get them back.
3. Check the gates and fences at your house.  There is a house I walk by with my pets and in the past year about 3 separate times the dogs have pushed the gate open and got out because it was not closed all the way. 
4. Make sure their collar is on tight enough so it won't slip off.
5. If you are out front in your yard with your pet make sure it is restrained on a leash.  Many times I walk by a house with the garage opened and a dog comes running out of the garage.  If they did this when a car was coming by they could be dead. 
6. Carry some essentials in your car in case you come up on a injured or stray pet.  I could have used water and a bowl to place out for this dog the other day.  I will always have the following in my car in case this situation happens again:
1. bottled water
2. bowl
3. blanket
4. leash
5. animal controls number - city and county
6. dog treats

If you see a dog like I did the other day then you should call animal control.  In Las Vegas depending on where you are you will need to call the City or County.  If the dog is injured be very careful because and injured dog can bite even if they are friendly.  If the dog is a danger to others then you may want to call 311 the non-emergency police line.  I was lucky because I happened to see a police officer drive by and I flagged him down.  He was able to dispatch animal control.  It can be frustrating to find numbers but try and stay with the dog until help arrives.  Caution people about approaching the dog.

Summer is here and in Vegas keeping your dog cool is another important part of keeping your dog safe.  I always walk my dogs very early in the morning during the summer.  The summer heat will heat up the pavement in no time and it is not fair to have your dog walk on the hot pavement.  Get out early to avoid any problems.