On 4 January 2015, a fire tore through a Kennel and Cattery facility in the Adelaide Hills, tragically killing over 40 dogs and cats that were being boarded whilst their families were away on holiday. It was a terrible incident that caught the attention of the media and politicians and of course the animal care and welfare community.

From this sad incident, it became clear that not all animal care facilities had adequate fire safety and evacuation plans.

At Doghouse Daycare, we’ve had a fire evacuation plan in place, since our doors opened in 2012. Part of this plan includes evacuation routes and safe assembly points throughout our facilities. However, we have always been conscious of ensuring the plan accommodates the number of dogs and staff at Doghouse Daycare.

In 2016, with our numbers growing, time had come to review our fire evacuation plan and facilities.

Though we installed a safety gate in 2012, we have outgrown this space, though it still serves to outline a useable area as part of our safe assembly points for our dogs and staff.

We are pleased to announce that we have a new sliding safety gate which is located on the northern side of our facility. Meticulous planning has gone into the design and manufacture of this new safety gate which is 2 metres high. This gate will accommodate our dogs and staff, should we ever encounter the need to evacuate from our building.

Whilst our hope is that we never have to use our fire gate for an emergency, we understand that when you leave your pooch with us we are responsible for their care and safety. For maximum pet fire safety, it all comes down to prevention and planning—and practice. Our staff are aware of our evacuation plan, roles and responsibilities and the procedure to follow in an emergency.

If you have any questions about our new fire gate or our emergency procedure, just ask our reception staff for details!