Your pets are your family but have they been factored into your home security plans? Below are our top tips to keep your furry family members ultra-safe while you are away for long or short periods of time.

Indicate the Number of Pets in the Home

Always let your security company know the number of animals residing in your home so they can alert the authorities accordingly during times of need. Another way to communicate this information is via pet stickers on well-trafficked windows or doors. Now, when police officers or firefighters arrive, they not only know the number of pets residing in your home but which types of animals you have and each one’s name. 

Pro Tip: In the instances where your pet is at the kennel, you may want to consider temporarily removing the pet decals.

See Who’s at the Door

Let the dog sitter/walker in with no fear of intruders (and ensure an on-time arrival). Per Mar’s doorbell video camera provides an instantaneous form of two-way communication without giving every visitor your phone number. Once installed, a mobile app is all you need to begin seeing and speaking to your visitors, whether you are home or away. 

Pro Tip: Easily unlock or lock your doors right from your smartphone. 

Enlist a Second Set of Eyes While You are Away

Not unlike parents of human children, pet parents often have to get creative in keeping their pets out of mischief and harm’s way. Having indoor security cameras gives you the peace of mind you crave when you can’t be home. Check-in anytime to see if your pets are acting strangely (due to a potential intruder in the home or an environmental change) or getting into things they shouldn’t. Cameras take the guesswork out of the equation!

Pro Tip: Motion detectors can be set up as stand-alone devices or in addition to cameras to prevent your pets from accessing certain, off-limits areas of your house. 

Know If There’s Been Any Climate Change

If video cameras act as your second set of eyes, then environmental monitoring equipment acts as your other senses. It detects instances where there is an intruder of another variety, such as water or extreme (high or low) temperatures.

So often, we leave home without setting our heat or air conditioning appropriately. Luckily, that can be controlled with an app thanks to smart home automation, however, what about the instances where it completely slips our mind? Or when the air conditioning goes out on the hottest day of the year or the furnace breaks on a bitterly cold day?

Per Mar’s environmental monitoring service can be set to monitor a variety of scenarios, and will automatically adjust when a setting, such as your pre-set high and low temperatures, is reached. It’s something that is easy to forget but potentially life-saving.

Pro Tip: Water leaks fall under environmental monitoring, too. If not caught early, it doesn’t take much water to endanger your floors and furnishings, but even more importantly, your beloved animals! 

Detect Deadly Fumes & Fire

Installing fire and carbon monoxide detectors is a fairly common practice in most homes, but monitoring them isn’t necessarily something people think about…until it’s too late. Fire gives off a warning (smoke), but even a small fire can have deadly effects, and carbon monoxide is the silent killer which means there is no warning. Not to mention a furnace leak, which could expose pets to dangerous fumes. 

Given the dangers, we cannot emphasize enough the importance of 24/7 monitoring for your home and home-alone pets! Fire and carbon monoxide detection technology is only life-saving if someone can respond to them (same with environmental monitoring of furnace fumes), whether you are home or away. 

Pro Tip: Test your fire and carbon monoxide detectors twice a year, spring and fall. Please call us at 800-227-9805 to put your system in test mode first.

These tips are in addition to standard pet practices such as having detailed collars and microchips. After all, pets tend to spend a lot of time home alone and are rendered helpless should an emergency occur. It’s our job to keep your furry friends protected at all times. If you aren’t already equipped with one of our home security systems or have questions on any of the protective measures mentioned above, contact us for more information or a free security review.