Summer is coming to a close soon enough, but there are still plenty of hot summer days left to enjoy a splash in the pool or a day out on open water (Have you read our article on boating with your pets?). If you’re reading this article, then I’m betting you love your pets and do whatever you can to make sure they’re safe in the water and out. Understanding the dangers that water can present to your pets, you might have purchased a life vest or some other flotation device to help prevent any accidents, and to help put your mind at ease while you enjoy some rest and relaxation with your pet.

No safety device should ever replace close supervision, but there isn’t a pet parent in the world who can keep their eyes open and on their pet every moment of the day. A spilled drink, birds and other objects flying into your field of vision, and even the surprise sneeze all provide the split-second opportunity for your beloved friend to fall into the water. We don’t want you to live in fear – that’s no way to enjoy the rest of your summer – we want you to be prepared!

We were recently introduced to a product that we believe is your best choice as a last line of defense against accidental drowning – the Safety Turtle Pet Immersion Alarm. This handy product has two parts – an alarm base, and a “Turtle” that you attach to your pet’s collar. Once you’ve coded the turtle to the base, if your dog becomes immersed in water, the base alarm will go off immediately and will not stop until it is reset (rain and light sprays, such as those from a sprinkler, will not cause the immersion alarm to go off).

PROS:

• You can buy as many Turtles as you need to so you can protect all of your pets, and you can purchase more if a new pet is added to your family after purchase.
• The battery in each Turtle is permanently sealed, and will last 3-4 years. While not being able to replace a dead battery may seem like it should go in the “cons” list, having an irreplaceable battery means a more solid product that can withstand your pet’s play and roughhousing.
• The Turtles and their base are all lightweight which means they are very portable. They won’t take up much room, and it won’t add a lot of weight to your pet’s collar.

CONS:

• The effectiveness of the Safety Turtle Pet Immersion Alarm is seriously compromised in salt water – including backyard swimming pools that are salt chlorinated. Please click here to read more about this on the Safety Turtle website.
• To purchase an entire Safety Turtle Pet Immersion Alarm (one base and one Turtle), you’re looking at a price tag of $270.00. This might raise an eyebrow from you, our dear readers, but take it from someone who has seen the effects of the drowning death of a beloved family pet – they would gladly spend that much, and more, to have them back in their lives.

Go check out the Safety Turtle website. They’ve got a lot of information available there to help answer any questions you might have, and they have products for humans too. The Safety Turtle Child Immersion Alarm works just like the pet version, which means you could have the same loud alarm go off if your child gets into the water when you aren’t’ looking.

And remember – While all of us animal lovers are so thankful for all of the great products coming to the market to better the lives of our furry family members, no safety device can replace supervision!