Study shows most pet owners would attempt CPR on their dog or cat. But what about other emergency preparedness?
October 22, 2009 | 7:01 pm


Although most pet owners say they'd attempt doggie- or kitty-CPR to save an animal in danger, many are unprepared to deal with a wide range of other pet-related emergencies, according to a new poll conducted jointly by the Associated Press and Petside.com.

The poll, conducted Oct. 1-5 by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media, utilized telephone interviews (both cellphone and landline) with 1,166 pet owners nationwide. Of those, 58% said they would be at least somewhat likely to perform CPR on a pet in need. (That figure is an average of dog owners, of which 63% said they would try to perform CPR, and cat owners, of which 53% gave the same answer.) Additionally, female pet owners were statistically more likely to attempt CPR on their pets, with 65% of women and only 50% of men saying they would try the technique.

"If people value their pets like a family member, they should know how to do CPR, just like they would for their kids. In disasters, pets get hurt and run into debris and all kinds of things," Mark Solnick, director of emergency preparedness and response for the Red Cross of Santa Monica, told the Associated Press of the findings.

Both the American Red Cross and a number of private organizations offer pet first aid and CPR classes. Fortunately for Angelenos, one of these, Sunny-Dog Ink, offers seminars right here in Los Angeles.

Despite the generally favorable CPR statistics, the poll found emergency preparedness lacking among pet owners in several other key areas. Fifty-four percent of those interviewed said they did not have a fire evacuation plan for their dog or cat, and only 20% kept a stocked pet first-aid kit in their home. The Associated Press reports on a few other troubling trends....

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/10/pet-owners-would-give-cpr-to-a-dog-or-cat-study-shows.html