People in Chicago who were following the story of Tank recently
breathed a sigh of relief when this 5-year-old Pomeranian—lost after
falling off his owners’ boat into the Chicago River—was found
alive and playing with other dogs on the city’s northwest side. Although
this story’s happy outcome is worth celebrating, it could have just as easily
turned tragic, and it underscores an essential dog-safety issue in the summer
season: boat safety for dogs.
Tank’s survival is partially credited to the fact that his
owners had the common sense to put a life vest on him before taking their boat
on its river route. Although many dogs can swim, they are just as prone as
humans to panic in a high current or to become tired before reaching shore.
But even with the life vest that allowed Tank to safely reach
shore, his owners are still very lucky to have found him, as they had taken off
his identification tags to put on the life vest. Dogs outside of the home
should always wear identification tags. If a collar cannot be comfortably worn
with a life vest, it is advisable to find some other way to attach identification
to the animal, for example, by attaching a waterproof carabiner holding the ID
tags to the life vest.
Read this
article for additional information on keeping dogs safe on the water.
Here’s to a safe boating season!
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