Editor’s Note: Our fictional friends Jane and Zymir pet-proof their house for a furry house guest just in time for National Pet Fire Safety Day.

By Robert Ambrose

ZYIR: Your mom called me about babysitting her dog.

JANE: Here we go.

ZYIR: Just so happens our first day of sitting is National Pet Safety: Tuesday, July 15.

JANE: So?

ZYIR: Look, half million pets are hurt by fires. What really struck me is: 100,000 pets started the fires.

JANE: Seriously?

ZYIR: A dog or cat could knock over a candle or a stovetop pan…we can get stove knob covers so the dog cannot turn on our stove.

JANE: Never would have thought…or just remove the stove knobs.

ZYIR: And I never thought of that. Anyway, I was just catching up on the Red Cross blog. We need exit points…

JANE: to escape.

ZYIR: And keep your mom’s dog near a door when we’re away…

JANE: So, the fire department can rescue the dog. How about a pet sticker on the window?

ZYIR: Yes. Google ASPCA for free pet safety pack. We’re gonna’ microchip your mom’s pet…

JANE: next to the dog’s ID tag.

ZYIR: We have a smoke alarm on every floor. How about a fire drill practice?

JANE: Do you think this is grade school?

ZYIR: Then our escape plan is an automatic reaction instead of panic, delay and overreaction.

JANE: Okay. Let’s practice evacuation.

ZYIR: I love your mom, but it’s a hassle to remove every extension cord from where Humphrey will play. I don’t want the dog to eat half the cord and then we have an electrical fire.

JANE: Like most dogs, this dog is not trained to behave itself. Humprey chomped through an electrical cord last week at my mom’s house. Luckily, there was no current in that extra cord.

ZYIR: Forgiven. But we can assure against any repeated devouring of extension cords.

JANE: Dog eat dog world.

ZYIR: Nice one. How’s work?

JANE: Gonna’ share with them this Red Cross reminder about learning to use fire extinguishers.

ZYIR: Does any adult not know how to use a fire extinguisher?

JANE: Yes. And people need to learn. Aim, pop the pin and squeeze.

ZYIR: I guess we’ll keep tuning in to the Red Cross blog to have these interesting discussions about what if scenarios and ways to prevent those emergencies.

JANE: Prevention is key. That smoke alarm upstairs is beeping by the way.

ZYIR: Yeah, I’m on my way to replace it. Thanks.