Shannon’s Top 5 Safety Tips:
- Create a Safe Space: Before trick-or-treating begins, place your pets in a quiet room away from the commotion where they can feel secure and relaxed. This area should be free from the sounds of doorbells, chatter, and other Halloween-related noises that could induce stress. If your dog is crate-trained, consider using their crate as a sanctuary. Enhance this space with their favorite toys to make it feel like a home away from home. To further alleviate anxiety, consider playing soft, soothing music in the background. Calming music can help mask external noise and create a tranquil atmosphere that promotes your pet's relaxation. Be sure to provide fresh water and, if necessary, a few treats to keep your pet occupied.
- Keep Candy Out of Reach: One of the most crucial aspects of keeping your pets safe during Halloween is ensuring that all candy and sweets are stored securely out of their reach. Many popular Halloween treats, including chocolate, gum, and those containing xylitol (a common sugar substitute), can be highly toxic to animals. It's vital to educate your children about the importance of not sharing their candy with pets, as they may not understand that certain human foods can be harmful to animals. Encourage your kids to enjoy their treats, but emphasize that pets should only have snacks specifically meant for them. Lastly, consider creating a designated area for your children to enjoy their Halloween loot—a place separate from your pets. This way, kids can have fun without the concern of their candies inadvertently becoming a pet's temptation.
- Beware of Decorations: Introduce pets to new decorations slowly, as they might find them frightening. If they seem apprehensive, give them time to adjust and discover the items naturally without over-encouragement from the owner. Be cautious of potentially hazardous items like lit candles, rubber decorations, and fake cobwebs, which can pose choking risks. An excited dog or a curious cat could easily knock over a candle, leading to a dangerous situation. Instead of real candles, consider using electric or battery-operated options that provide the same ambiance without the risks. When it comes to rubber decorations—such as spooky spiders, skeletons, or plastic skulls—be aware that these items can be choking hazards if your pet decides to chew or play with them. Fake cobwebs, while a favorite for creating spooky atmospheres, can also pose risks. These can entangle pets, especially if they try to play with them or pull on them. Instead, consider using pet-safe decorations or creating crafts that do not have loose parts that pets could easily chew or swallow.
- Choose Costumes Wisely: Choosing the right costume for your pet can be a fun and festive way to celebrate Halloween, but it's essential to prioritize their comfort and well-being above all else. Before dressing your animal companion, consider their individual personality and tolerance for clothing. While some pets may enjoy wearing costumes, others may feel uncomfortable or even distressed by the experience. To ensure that your pet has a positive experience, carefully select a costume that allows for freedom of movement and comfort. Opt for simple outfits that are easy to put on and take off, avoiding heavy or restrictive materials that could inhibit your pet’s natural behavior. Look for costumes that fit snugly without being tight, and check that they don’t have any accessories that could snag or irritate your pet's skin. When selecting a costume, steer clear of masks or elaborate headpieces. While these may add an amusing touch to the outfit, they can often obscure your pet’s vision, impede their senses, and make them feel claustrophobic. Instead of a full costume, consider using accessories such as a festive collar, themed bowtie, or a simple hat that won’t interfere with their comfort.
- Keep Pets Indoors: As night falls, bring your pets inside. This not only keeps them safe from potentially frightening encounters but also prevents them from running away during the hustle and bustle. Pets can easily become frightened by strange sights and sounds, including the constant ringing of doorbells, shouts of trick-or-treaters, and unusual activity around your home. This heightened anxiety can lead to erratic behavior, such as trying to flee the home. Before the festivities begin, verify that your pets are wearing up-to-date identification tags on their collars. Additionally, make sure that your pets are microchipped and that the registration information is current. This extra layer of security can be invaluable in reuniting you with your pet if they go missing.
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To ensure a stress-free holiday for your pets, expert dog trainer Shannon Walker, the CEO and Founder of Northwest Battle Buddies—a non-profit dedicated to providing service dogs to combat veterans with PTSD—shares valuable insights. With a robust background in canine training since founding Mans Best Friend (Dog Training) in 1997, Shannon brings a wealth of knowledge to help pet owners navigate the challenges of the season while maintaining their pets' comfort and well-being.
Join us on Facebook for even more great deals, plus freebies, games, and frugal tips!
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| CarSeat Emergency Stickers |
A car seat ID tag adds a layer of protection for every car ride.
If you should ever get into a crash and are unconscious or unresponsive, your little one in the backseat will not be able to give the paramedics or police the information they need.
So it's a good idea to put all this information on the side of your child’s infant seat, convertible seat or even booster seat.
You can simply print it out on a piece of paper, and place it inside a luggage tag.
A picture of your child on the back of the tag really helps emergency personal too!
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| Car Seat Safety Tag |
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| Car Seat Safety Sticker |
-- As a result of a traffic crash involving a 13-month-old boy named Chad, a safety child identification program was developed. This program encourages CHAD stickers to be placed on your child's car seat and provides rapid identification in case of an emergency. Request your CHAD sticker here. Select Child Passenger Safety. (US only)
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| Luggage Tags with Address Cards |
• Free DIY Emergency Car Seat Labels
• Emergency Car Seat Label (Free PDF!)
• Printable Car Seat Identification Tag – Free Printable
• Free Car Seat Emergency Contact Information
• Car Seat Child Safety ID Card
• Printable Emergency Contact Form for Car Seat
Weigh down the front wheels of your stroller burdened with a jam-packed diaper bag hanging on the handles, by simply attaching ankle weights just above the wheels.
Of course, you could simply buy some Stroller Weights or even Ankle Weights, but that is not frugal.
If you can sew, and have an old pair of jeans you no longer wear, (or any other tightly woven cotton or woven nylon), you can cut out a couple of rectangles of fabric - 13 inches by 5 inches.
This one is a bit more work, so I will simply link to the sewing instructions.
Can't Sew?? No problem! You can make ankle weights out of an old pair of tube socks (sew closed any holes first!). Tie a knot about one-fourth of the way up a long tube sock. Pour beans, rice, or sand into the sock. Tie a second knot in the sock, about one-fourth the way down from the top of the sock.
Now your weight is secured in the center of your sock, and the ends of the sock are empty — so you can tie them around the front legs of your stroller. If it isn't long enough to tie it easily, attach stick-on hook-and-loop fastener strips, such as Velcro®, to the sock to fasten it.
Simply wrap them on the front legs of your stroller, and off you go!
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| Adjustable Ankle Weights |
• Athletic Works 5lb Pair Ankle and Wrist Weights (ad) - for Fitness, Exercise, Walking, jogging, core training, Cross Training, aerobics, gym and many other fitness workouts.
• Stroller Safety Wrist Strap (ad) - This item is a safety wrist strap for baby stroller. It is made with polyester to keep it durable and comfortable in use. A nice aid for you to push stroller in slippery area.
AMAZON SHOPPING LIST:
• Adjustable Ankle Weights (ad) - The Sportneer ankle weights come in pair, with 5 removable sand pockets for each pack ankle weights. Each pocket weights 0.6 lbs. One pack weights can be adjusted from 1.1 lbs to 3.5 lbs and One pair weighs from 2.2 lbs to 7 lbs by adding or removing the weights pockets.
• Stroller/Pram Safety Wrist Strap (ad) - designed to ensure the safety of your baby and control of your stroller when your stroller out of your hand.
“What’s good for us is good for our pets,” said Kris Kiser, President of The TurfMutt Foundation, an environment education and stewardship program, and President and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), an international trade association representing manufacturers and suppliers of outdoor power equipment, small engines, battery power systems, portable generators, utility and personal transport vehicles, and golf cars. “My dog is a member of the family, so we have a plan for keeping her safe in the event of an emergency, and we encourage all pet parents to do the same.”
Here are six ideas from the TurfMutt Foundation to include pets safety when mapping out a disaster preparedness plan.
• Have pets micro-chipped. In the event of an emergency—natural or otherwise—you want to ensure your pet can get back to you if you’re separated. Collars and ID tags, though important, can break or detach. Microchips—computerized and scannable implants about the size of a grain of rice—are more fool-proof since they’re inserted under your pet’s skin.• Bring pets inside at the first sign of danger. Disasters can be disorienting for pets, and they could run away or hurt themselves reacting to loud noises and strange changes to their landscape. Also, rain, flying debris and high winds pose a danger.
• If you have to leave, keep pets with you. Leaving your pets behind during a natural disaster is never a good idea because they could escape or become exposed to a number of life-threatening hazards. Keep them on a leash or in a pet carrier so they don’t escape, even if you are in a “familiar” neighborhood.
• Determine where you’ll go. You need a Plan B if you are advised by government officials to leave your home. Make a plan and develop a list of pet-friendly hotels open for business and outside your immediate area that you might evacuate to.
• Create a pet-friendly resource list. Research a list of veterinarians in the area should your pet need medical care (your regular vet may have some recommendations). Also, figure out which boarding facilities are nearby in case you need to separate from your pet for a time.
• Pack an emergency bag. Pack emergency provisions for pets well in advance of a catastrophe so you can evacuate your home quickly if needed. Choose an easy-to-carry bag, label it and keep it where everyone in the family can find it quickly. The bag should include a pet first aid kit; enough food and bottled water for a week (rotate this every couple of months to keep it from going bad); medications (check periodically to ensure medicines in your emergency bag don’t expire); cleanup supplies; food and water dishes; bags (or litter for cats) for collecting waste; an extra collar and leash; photocopies of medical records; towels; recent photos of your pets; and a favorite toy or chewy for comfort. It’s also a good idea to have a sturdy carrier or crate for each pet.
By keeping in mind these ideas, pet preparedness plans can be put into action ahead of a storm instead of spending valuable time trying to determine what needs to be done to best protect pets.
Learn More
For facts, tips and fun activities for families from the TurfMutt environment education and stewardship program, visit www.TurfMutt.com.
Too many times firefighters come upon a car wreck where the parent is unconscious, and there are children in the car too young to speak or communicate anything useful to the rescue team.
Place a car seat sticker (or use a luggage tag or self-laminating kit to make it last longer) on each child's car seat providing information to help rescuers.
Include: Your child's name and date of birth, parent's names, date of birth, work and home phone numbers, emergency contact information, child's doctor, an up-to-date picture of your child.Include any allergies your child has – especially to medications – and if there is any medical history emergency workers need to be aware of or will make their job easier, such as if your child is diabetic, autistic, has a history of seizures, etc.
Place the sticker on an out-of-the-way place on baby's car seat, where it can't been easily seen by passersby, placing it on the stationary part of the car seat you leave inside the car.
You should also attach one sticker on booster seats or seat belts, as well as diaper bags, strollers, backpacks, luggage - anywhere you need important information stored for your child.
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| Photo credit: DogGoneSafe.com |
Diggity Dog Interactive Games
-- Fun for kids... interactive games for kids to play on-line plus a story narrated by Diggity Dog.
Speak Dog video on YouTube
-- Three minute slide show teaching about dog body language - short video clips about the dangers of tied dogs and how to deal with a pack of dogs.
Parent Education Pamphlet
-- four panel folding pamphlet that prints on legal size paper - print in color or black and white.
Post Office Poster
-- tips for parents and dog owners about how to keep kids safe around dogs. The US post office allows public education materials to be posted for free - ask your local post office if you can post this for Dog Bite Prevention Week
Posters based on the Doggone Crazy! game cards
-- These posters are great for a display at a community event, at your place of work or in the classroom. Customize to include your own logo and contact information and information about your event or another message you want. Printed in color, blow them up and laminate them for maximum effect. Kids love the question and answer format!
Parent Guide
-- everything parents need to know to keep kids safe around dogs.
Colouring and Activity Pages
• Coloring Page - no reading required
• Coloring Page - excerpt from I'm Safe With My Pet coloring book
• Activity Page - for kids who can read
And More!
Body Language Postcard, Dog Body Language Poster, Halloween Resources, Door Knocker Tips, Holiday Bite Prevention Tips, Valentines Tips - How to Love Your Dog, Let's Talk Dog Poster from the Liam J Perk Foundation.
Click for free Dog Bite Prevention Resources
(Worldwide)
Nearly 800,000 children are reported missing each year. That is approximately 2000 per day.Thankfully the vast majority are quickly recovered.
The most important tools that can be provided to law enforcement to assist in a safe and quick recovery is a child id kit and fingerprints.
However, only 19% of American households have a completed and updated kit.
Having current information available and accessible in the event of a natural disaster or a missing or abducted child situation could literally be your child’s lifeline between life and death.
Now you can get your own FREE Child Safe Kit.
Don't just worry about how to protect your child – follow our child safety tips to help protect your kids and order your FREE, no-obligation Child Safe Kit.
Having a Child Safe Kit on hand can provide an essential source of information for law enforcement in the event of an emergency.
Child Safe Kit can be essential to law enforcement in the event of an emergency.
Important Information at Hand
Record your child’s name, address, birth date, and any birthmarks or other identifying features that will help authorities identify your child. Include any allergies and all medications your child has.
Detailed Physical Description
It is important to know where any of your child's birthmarks, scars, or other identifying marks are, as well as their physical characteristics – height, weight, eye and hair color.
Fingerprint System
The Child Safe Kit comes with a chart to fingerprint your child with easy-to-follow instructions.
DNA Record
There is also a place to attach whole strands of your child's hair. Making sure the strands include the roots and follicles means you can provide authorities with a sample of your child's DNA.
Recent Photo of Your Child
Keep a recent photo of your child to help officials easily identify them. Remember to update your child's photo every few months, especially after growth spurts and even hairstyle changes.
Click for your free Child Safe Kit
(US only)
QUICK FREEBIE TIP:
A freebie isn't a freebie unless it's free! If a website wants you to pay for a freebie, then don't request it. If they ask for shipping cost, you'll have to decide if it's worth it to you. Click for more quick freebie tips
Alert people that pets are inside your home in the event of an emergency!
Help keep your pets safe with a free pet safety pack from the ASPCA!
In the event of an emergency, our pet rescue window decal alerts rescue personnel that pets are inside your home.
The safety pack also includes an ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center magnet—a great way to keep the APCC's toll-free emergency number and website address handy in case your pets get into something they shouldn't!
You should receive your free Pet Safety Pack in six to eight weeks.
Click for free safety pack
(US only)
NOTE - If any of the above links are not working or the freebies or coupons no longer available, please post a blog comment below and I'll edit it!
QUICK FREEBIE TIP:
If you need an email address (or lots of addresses!) you can go to mail.com and create another one just for signing up for freebies. Click for more quick freebie tips
As part of American Income Life Insurance Company's (AIL) commitment to protecting the community, AIL is offering Child Safe Kits at no cost to the public.
AIL's Child Safe Kits are an invaluable resource in a time of crisis when every second counts.
These Child Safe Kits are endorsed and supported by the International Union of Police Associations and provide parents with the means to be able to respond quickly and effectively in the event a child goes missing.
They are providing these kits AT NO COST to parents, grandparents, and guardians. Y
ou can order your own Child Safe Kits today by filling out the form on the link below.
Click for free Child Safe Kit
(US/Canada only)
NOTE - If any of the above links are not working or the freebies or coupons no longer available, please post a blog comment below and I'll edit it!
What do you think of this Silicone Oven Rack Guards?
Real protection from hot oven racks.
Slide these silicone guards over the front of your oven racks to prevent injuries to your hands and wrists.
Unique design grips edge of rack securely to keep guards in place.
Heat-resistant up to 450°F.
BONUS QUESTION! Who has the best price? Usually it's the US Amazon site, sometimes it is the UK site or Canadian site!
Shop USA ~ Shop Canada ~ Shop UK
Check out what the fans on Facebook had to say!:
GOOD IDEA... or WASTE OF MONEY?-- What do you think of this Silicone Oven Rack Guards? Real protection from hot oven...
Posted by Frugal Freebies on Wednesday, 9 September 2015
NOTE - If any of the above links are not working or the freebies or coupons no longer available, please post a blog comment below and I'll edit it!
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◊ Born to Love: All your cloth diapering needs, and much more - naturally! We are strong advocates of the personal, social and environmental benefits of natural parenting.
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