Each year 500,000 pets find themselves trapped inside the smoke and flames of a house fire, and tens of thousands of dogs, cats, birds, bunnies, and reptiles die each year due to fire.
“What we don’t want to see is you risking your life to get your animals out,” says District Chief of the Orlando Fire Department Spencer Bashinski.
It’s imperative for all pet owners to have a Pet Alert sticker visible on a front window, and be aware when it comes to fires. The National Fire Protection Association estimates that nearly 1,000 home fires each year are accidentally started by pets getting too close to stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, space heaters, lamps, and chewing through wires.
But that’s not the only danger lurking inside your home that could pose a risk to Fluffy or Fido.
“Your everyday cleaning supplies, any type of poisons that might be inside the house; all those are very harmful to animals,” Bashinski said.
Even some foods can be deadly. Onions, garlic, chives, macadamia nuts, chocolates, and raw meats can cause gastrointestinal irritation and red blood cell damage.
Over-the-counter medications such as Advil, Aleve, and Tylenol are dangerous for pets.
Another thing to look out for when pet-proofing your home is houseplants. Some of the most toxic houseplants for pets include corn plants, aloe plants, jade plants, and lilies.
And outside your home, common plants in Florida like sago palm are deadly to both pets and small children.
RELATED: ‘She was lucky’: Sago palm almost killed my dog. Here’s what you need to know.