Many garages are accessible to the family pet, whether it’s a place you let your cat explore or where your dog eats his food or keeps his toys. And the garage isn’t like every other part of the home because it is usually where dangerous things are kept, like tools, chemicals, and paints. We want to keep your pets as safe as the rest of your family so we put together a list of items that are commonly stored in the garage and that should be kept far away from your animals.
- It might seem obvious but it never hurts to remind people to keep any spare gasoline or motor oil in tight containers and high up off the ground. It is often recommended to keep gasoline outside of the garage if your family or your pets spend a lot of time there because the fumes themselves can be harmful.
- Antifreeze is infamous for seriously harming and even killing dogs because it has a sweet taste that attracts animals to it. Keep it high off the ground and far away from your animals.
- It is already not recommended to store your paints in the garage because the changing temperature can ruin the paint but if you are going to, make sure they are properly sealed so that your animal can’t spill them or open them.
- All pesticides, chemicals and mulch for the lawn, or traps for pests are easy to get into for a curious pet. Be careful to keep them stored away and don’t place traps in places where your pet might stick their nose.
- If you have an extra car battery lying around, battery acid could easily be licked off and ingested by your pets, which is why it is always a good idea to properly dispose of your old car batteries as soon as possible, for your sake and theirs.
- If you ever have the engine running while parked in the garage, make sure that your pet isn’t in the garage to inhale carbon monoxide and make sure to properly ventilate the garage before letting them back in, especially if they sleep their at night. You can easily poison your pet by leaving them in a closed space with these fumes.
- Lastly, if your garage is a place where your pet spends a lot of its time, make sure that you have a way to keep the temperature stable. In the winter, temperatures could drop dangerously low and or in the summer, your pet could overheat and get dehydrated and could be potentially fatal. Proper insulation of your garage will help with this and it helps to have an AC and heating unit if you live in a climate with changing seasons.
Use these tips to keep your family pets safe from harm, as well as any small children you may have. Your safety is Precision Door’s number one priority so if you have any further questions about garage safety, don’t hesitate to call us today!
