By Gillian Ridgeway
It is always a sign that winter is approaching when the clocks get turned back. Sure, it means that it is a bit brighter in the mornings if you are an early riser, but the downside is that it gets dark very quickly at night. Soon we will just be coming home from the office as dusk sets in.
With this in mind we should consider the safety of our pets. While it is always best to keep your cats indoors, there are still some that manage to venture outside. Dogs should be walked on a lead and only let off during off lead times, or in off lead areas, so they are often considered to be safe. Perhaps they are safe while on the lead, but lets be cautious anyway.
There are many pet collars and leads that come with reflective tape sewn onto them. This is the same type of reflective tape that is often seen on the back of jackets worn by runners and found on the backs and sides of many running shoes. The reflective tape will pick up the streetlights and car head lights and reflect it back, making the person visible. By applying this reflective tape to your pet’s collars and leads, it will help drivers see them better in the distance.
You will often see this type of reflective tape put onto dog coats and boots and again, this is another great idea for the safety of your dog.
While the reflective tape is great, it does need light to reflect from. This is not helpful while your pet is in your back garden or out in the off lead dog area at night. For this, you may want to use a flashing collar. These collars have small flashing lights that are operated by a lightweight battery. When the collar is turned on, the lights flash on and off and make your pet quite visible from a distance. The other alternative to the flashing collar is a small, plastic ball that flashes on and off and this can be clipped to your pets collar. These are both quite useful when your pet is outdoors as it makes them easy to find in the distance.
The other thing to keep in mind when it comes to safety is the use of a retractable lead. While these leads are perfect for allowing your dog to have more roaming room while on his walk, if he goes a bit too far in the dark he is not as visible. He may step out into the traffic before you notice his whereabouts. This is another excellent reason to have a flashing collar.
Of course, for the safety of everyone, it is always best to stick to well-lit areas or walk with a companion.
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