Tag Archives: pool safety

Many of us are looking forward to Memorial Day, the traditional start of the summer season. Summer means enjoying the breeze through open windows, barbeques with friends and family, and swimming in the pool or at the beach. But if you are a pet, each one of these summer pleasures can turn into a summer tragedy, requiring a trip to an animal ER like the Level 1 Trauma Center at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center. This blogpost highlights three summer dangers and offers tips to prevent them.

The Schwarzman Animal Medical Center ER has its share of drama. Last summer, a dog family was at a pool party when they noticed their French bulldog missing. He was found at the bottom of the pool and was estimated to have been there 1-2 minutes. The owners rescued him from the bottom of the pool and administered CPR, miraculously reviving the little fella. The family brought him directly to AMC where, after an overnight in ICU, he was discharged and as good as new. This story highlights several things about dogs, pools and swimming. I don’t believe dogs understand what a swimming pool is or how dangerous it can be, and not all dogs are natural swimmers, as this Frenchie’s story clearly illustrates. Many dogs fall in the pool only once and, after they are rescued by their family, never go near the pool again. Every summer there are unsuspecting dogs who fall into the pool when no one else is around. Some drown because they are alone and cannot swim. Others can swim, but quickly become exhausted when they cannot figure out how to get out of the pool. To protect your dog, here are my suggestions to keep your swimming pool dog safe.