Safety for Pet Owners Who Live Alone

Your pet provides companionship and comfort, but pets also introduce unique safety considerations. Planning for both your safety and your pet's wellbeing ensures neither of you is left vulnerable.

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Over 86,000 Americans visit emergency rooms each year due to fall injuries involving pets -- most commonly tripping over dogs or cats, or being pulled by a dog on a leash. For people living alone, a pet-related fall has no immediate witness.

The Challenge

Tripping over pets, being pulled by a leash, and slipping on pet toys are leading causes of fall injuries at home, and when living alone no one witnesses the fall

If you are hospitalised or incapacitated, your pet has no one to feed, water, or let outside -- creating an animal welfare crisis on top of your medical emergency

Dog walking alone, especially at dawn or dusk, introduces personal safety risks in areas with poor lighting or low foot traffic

Pet medical emergencies -- choking, poisoning, or injury -- can be panicking to handle alone without a second person to help restrain the animal or drive to the vet

How I'm Alive Helps

Daily I'm Alive check-ins protect both you and your pet -- if you are incapacitated, your contacts can arrange care for your animal while getting you help

Your emergency contacts through the app should know you have a pet, where pet food and supplies are stored, and your veterinarian's contact information

The automated alert ensures your pet is not left alone for days if something happens to you, preventing an animal welfare crisis alongside your personal emergency

Preventing Pet-Related Injuries at Home

Pets are wonderful companions but they create physical hazards in the home. Dogs lying in doorways and hallways create tripping risks, especially at night or when your hands are full. Cats weaving between your feet on stairs are a serious fall hazard. Pet toys left on the floor become invisible obstacles in dim lighting. Water bowls create slip hazards on smooth floors. Manage these risks proactively. Train dogs to move out of walkways on command. Keep pet toys in a designated area and pick them up before bed. Place water bowls on non-slip mats away from high-traffic paths. Use pet gates to keep animals out of the kitchen while cooking and away from the top of stairs. When walking a large or energetic dog, use a short leash and maintain firm footing -- being pulled off balance by a lunging dog is one of the most common pet-related injuries. For people living alone, these precautions matter more because a fall has no immediate witness. A pet-related fall at 2 a.m. when you trip over the dog on the way to the bathroom could leave you on the floor until your morning I'm Alive check-in triggers an alert. Prevention reduces this risk, but the check-in system provides the safety net when prevention is not enough.

Emergency Planning for You and Your Pet

Every pet owner living alone should have a pet emergency plan. Identify at least two people who can care for your pet on short notice -- a neighbour with a key, a friend, or a pet sitter. Brief them on your pet's needs: feeding schedule, medications, veterinarian contact, and any behavioural considerations. Keep a pet emergency information sheet near the front door alongside your own medical information. Stock an emergency kit for your pet: a week's supply of food, medications, copies of vaccination records, your vet's contact information, a leash and carrier, and comfort items. If you are evacuated due to a natural disaster, take your pet with you -- never leave them behind. Include pet information in your I'm Alive contact details. Your emergency contacts should know you have a pet, what kind, and who to call for pet care if you are unable to provide it. If you are hospitalised unexpectedly, the first concern is your medical care -- but the second concern, especially if you live alone, is your pet. A daily check-in system ensures that both concerns are addressed quickly. Your contacts discover your emergency through the missed check-in and can simultaneously arrange your medical care and your pet's temporary care.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I prevent tripping over my pet at night?

Use nightlights in hallways and near your bedroom door. Train your dog to sleep in a designated spot rather than in walkways. Keep the bedroom door closed if your pet tends to lie in the doorway. If your cat tends to follow you at night, move slowly and shuffle your feet rather than stepping normally to avoid a hidden cat underfoot.

What should be in a pet emergency plan for someone living alone?

Identify at least two people who can care for your pet on short notice and give one of them a key. Create a pet information sheet with feeding schedule, medications, vet contact, and behavioural notes. Stock a week's supply of pet food and medications. Include pet details in your I'm Alive emergency contact information.

Who takes care of my pet if I am hospitalised and live alone?

This must be planned in advance. Designate a neighbour or friend with a key who has agreed to provide emergency pet care. Inform your I'm Alive contacts about your pet so they can coordinate care immediately when a missed check-in indicates a problem. Without a plan, your pet may go unfed for days.

How does I'm Alive protect my pet?

If an emergency incapacitates you, your missed daily check-in alerts your contacts. Because they know you have a pet, they can arrange feeding and care while simultaneously getting you help. This prevents the dual crisis of a medical emergency for you and a welfare emergency for your animal.