(Ottawa Fire Services and Ottawa Humane Society have created a free ‘Save our Pets’ decal for pet owners. Photos: Ottawa Fire Services)
The Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) and the Ottawa Humane Society (OHS) have partnered together to bring “Save our Pets” Emergency Decals to the community at no charge.
Fire safety is no joke, and while it’s never recommended to try to retrieve your pets yourself, letting 911 dispatchers and Firefighters know that your pets are still inside of the house is absolutely imperative to their rescue.
Nicholas DeFazio, Public Information Officer with OFS, told Stittsville Central, “our Firefighters are highly trained and highly efficient when it comes to performing rescues in dangerous environments. The more information that they have, the better chance there is for a successful rescue. For example, if the home owner is not home, these decals make for an easy way for Firefighters to identify if there are pets inside when they arrive that may need to be rescued”.

In the case of a fire, be sure to notify first responders how many pets you have, where you last saw them, where they sleep, or where they may hide.
In the case of an emergency when nobody is home, it’s important that our Firefighters are able to identify any pets that may be trapped inside of the home.
The “Save our Pets” Decal lets emergency responders know exactly how many pets are inside of the home. This way they can act quickly, resulting in a better chance of a successful rescue.

Before placing your decal, it’s important to make sure that the information on the sticker is correct. Be sure to remove any pre-existing stickers from previous owners, and always remember to update the sticker if any information changes.
“When practising your home escape plan, always make sure to keep your pet in mind and whose responsibility it will be to bring your pet to your meeting point. In the event that it is not possible to safely retrieve your pet in an emergency, we ask that you never go back in to rescue your pets. Notify the 911 dispatcher that there is a pet or pets inside and give them as much information as possible (where the pet was last seen, where it sleeps, where it may hide if it is afraid, etc.) Our dispatchers will ask the appropriate questions if something is missed and will quickly relay that information to the responding fire crews.” DeFazio emphasized.
To order your free “Save our Pets” Decal, please visit the Ottawa Humane Society’s website and fill out your form today!