Press

Nashville, TN – Pets are an important part of many families, and a new Red Cross Pet First Aid App puts lifesaving information right in the hands of dog and cat owners so they can provide emergency care until veterinary assistance is available.

The 99 cent Pet First Aid app gives iPhone and Android smart phone users instant access to expert information so they learn how to maintain their pet’s health and what to do during emergencies.

“Pet owners learn how to recognize health problems and when to contact their veterinarian,” said Beth Toll, Regional Director of Communications for the Tennessee Volunteer Region. “The Pet First Aid App provides step-by-step instructions, videos and images for more than 25 common first aid and emergency situations including how to treat wounds, control bleeding, and care for breathing and cardiac emergencies.”

Additional topics include burns, car accidents, falls and what to do for cold- and heat-related emergencies.

Other features in the app allow pet owners to:

• Create a pet profile including tag identification number, photos, list of medications and instructions.
• Use the list of early warning signs to learn when to call their veterinarian.
• Use “click-to-call” to contact their veterinarian.
• Find emergency pet care facilities or alternate veterinarians with the “animal hospital locator.”
• Locate pet-friendly hotels.
• Test their knowledge with interactive quizzes and earn badges that they can share on their social networks along with their favorite picture of their pet.

History shows that people have not evacuated during disasters because they did not want to leave their pets behind. The Red Cross app also contains resources to help owners include pets in their emergency action plans.

Pet owners may also take a Red Cross Pet First Aid course so they can practice the skills and receive feedback. In Middle Tennessee, the Red Cross partners with Nashville K-9 to offer the course. For more information on the next available training opportunity, people may contact Nashville K-9 directly at 615.438.2602.

[320left]The Red Cross has made great strides in making emergency information available whenever and wherever people need it. The Pet First Aid App and other Red Cross apps can be found in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for Android by searching for American Red Cross or by going to www.redcross.org/mobileapps.

The Nashville Area Chapter of the American Red Cross is also proud to be partnering with The Bobby Bones Show to help promote the new app to listeners to help keep their pets safe in emergencies.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families.

The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission.

For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.