Upscale home at night with ample lighting, showcasing how to keep your home and pets safe, featuring a playful dog wearing a burglar mask

Keep Your Home and Pets Safe While You’re Away

Knowing how to keep your home and pets safe is a top priority, especially when you’re away. In the United States, a burglary occurs every 26 seconds according to the FBI, resulting in millions of break-ins annually. It’s crucial to protect your property and optimize pet safety to deter potential intruders. The results can be costly and the emotional effects are devastating. In this article, we will explore essential measures to secure your property and create a safe environment for your beloved pets while you’re out of town.

Secure your property

If you are going to be out of town, it is not only important to protect and secure your property but also to optimize the safety of your pets. While sometimes pricey, a professional security system should be considered. Other devices such as outdoor/indoor security cameras, a video doorbell camera, fake security signs, and beware of dog signs are also helpful in deterring thieves. Recording devices have the added benefit of helping catch criminals while also protecting innocent people.

When leaving, check that all entrances to your house, garage doors, windows, buildings, and gates on your property are locked and that possessions are put out of sight. If you have a neighbor, who is trustworthy, ask them to keep watch over your home and let them know that a pet sitter will be making visits. Valuables, such as jewelry and money should be relocated to a home safe, or another place that criminals would not be able to access. Remember that most burglars would look in drawers, in the freezer or cookie jar, or under the mattress.

Maintain your property

If your house does not look well maintained, it may attract some notice. Make sure that the front entrance is visible from the entrance and that landscaping does not permit culprits from hiding from view. Broken or cracked glass windows and faulty screens should be repaired, and be sure that your lawn looks well-kept. Your fence should be intact with no way to enter or exit the yard without going through the gate(s), both for your personal safety and your pet’s safety. There are a number of ways that a pet sitter or house sitter can help:

Make the home look occupied

If you have a home phone, forward the calls to your cell phone. Make sure that your home phone does not ring repeatedly while you are away as burglars often listen for this. Plan to have some sounds and lighting that might indicate that occupants are home, such as TV or radio noise and lamps turned on/off from various rooms. These devices can be put on timers and randomly programmed for various daytime and evening hours. Window coverings can be opened in a routine manner but be sure not to showcase valuable household items through the windows. Hiring a pet sitter for overnight visits is a great choice because it will actually keep your home occupied. 

Know who has access to your home

Keep an account of any hidden house keys on your property or keys that you have given to trusted individuals for emergencies. Also, instead of giving people your keys, you can purchase a key lock box that allows you to change the code whenever you want. Be aware of others who have access to your property. This may include house cleaning, pool service, landscaping, and pest control. Pet sitters should be advised as to other individuals who have access to the home.

Insure your property

Be sure that the contents of your house are adequately insured by your homeowner’s insurance policy. Keep and maintain an inventory of your valuables. The easiest way to do this is to take photos and write down the value of each item. Receipts are also helpful. This information can be stored in a folder or notebook and should be put in a safe place.

Conclusion

By following these safety measures, you can keep your home and pets secure while you’re away. Implementing professional security systems, pet sitter assistance, and maintaining property are crucial steps to prevent burglaries and optimize pet safety. Insure your belongings and know who has access to your property to create a worry-free environment during your absence. Prioritize home and pet safety, and enjoy your time away with complete peace of mind.