Make sure your pets have someone to look after them
These are busy times that we live in today, aren’t they? Our lives are filled with things to do, from taking care of the house and shopping and working to taking the children to school and keeping them entertained during holidays and weekends. Add to that walking the family dog, taking him to the vet, buying his food, etc. Life seems like a non-stop whirlwind of activity.
But what would happen if you suddenly fell ill or, even worse, had to stay in hospital for a period of time? Suddenly your world has collapsed around you. Some of the tasks can be taken on by other family members and friends but not all
Illness can strike at any time and without notice, leaving you struggling to cope. As you may know, this happened to me and I ended up in hospital for 2 months with a life-threatening illness and a further 4 months before I could walk my dogs. This meant I quickly needed a plan B. If you are lucky, which I was, family and friends (and in my case other scout leaders) will rally round to help you with day to day tasks like taking care of the house, making sure the fridge is filled etc and sorting everything out for me including the dogs.
Below are a few questions that every dog owner should think about
What happens if I collapse outside?
Most mobile phones under the Emergency settings allow you to set up emergency details even if locked. MY phone now has my Next of Kin number and my best friends’ number so anyone that finds me can inform the. It also has details of health issues medication and hospital numbers etc
I also have a “Pets at home card” in my wallet which notifies the person I have pets at home and finally, I have a medical alert bracelet
Access to Pets
Have you thought about how the people that are helping you in your time of need will get access? I now have a key box at the side of my house in case the worst happens and my closest friend (whom I have known for 30 years) has details of the code in case of emergency
Other information
At home pinned by the door is a list of Emergency Numbers and health issues my m dogs have along with vet details and medication
I also have a list of the food they eat and when along with likes and dislikes
Some dog walkers like myself offer house sitting services which is also something to keep in mind and maybe include in your list of emergency numbers (with the vet)
Below are some articles as a dog walker and trainer based in Finchley think you might be interested in