Animal Humane provides helpful electrical pet safety tips

Our homes can be one of the safest places for our four-legged friends however if you have a lot of electronic devices with tons of wires or tangled chords that can be hazardous to your pet’s safety. Animal Humane NM gave some tips on pet electrical safety.

PNM is also sharing some helpful “Pet Electrical Safety Tips” during the month of March.

1. Hide or block electrical cords. The saying “out of sight, out of mind” stands true for animals, too. Keeping electrical cords hidden or preventing access to them will help keep your pets from chewing on them, which could be dangerous for the entire household. The frayed wires could harm our pets or even create a fire hazard.

2. Watch out for the underground. If you have a dog who loves digging, keep in mind any underground electrical wires that may be buried in your yard. You may need to fence or block off where those lines are located to keep your fur kid from getting hurt. Remember, to call 811 if you need help locating power lines.

3. Detangle wires and clean up your cables. Tangled-up electrical cords offer another hazard to our pets especially if they get caught in the cords and panic as they try to free themselves. Be sure to untangle those cords.

4. Keep dogs indoors when your meter reader comes around. PNM meter readers may have to enter your property to read your electric meter. It is important to have your dog inside or in a fenced area on the days your meter is being read. Identify your meter read date at PNM.com/ReadDate.

5. Safety first. If you think your pet has chewed on a cord or made contact with an electrical source, look for evidence of burns, increased drooling, coughing, breathing difficulties, mouth irritation, or signs of pain or distress. If you detect any of these, seek veterinary care for your pet immediately.

Pet of the week: Heidi