My preschooler does, so I’m pretty sure the average size toddler can get in and out with no problem.
Unfortunately, this is not a good thing.
Despite the fact that my daughter brags about her “doggy trick” with limitless aplomb, the fact that she can shimmy through a pet door is no reason to celebrate. Fortunately, the doggy door she has come to embrace doesn’t belong to us, so I do have something to cheer about.
Frankly, I was a bit shocked that she fit through the tiny door. The size of the opening is deceptively small. According to experts, an average “medium” pet door features an opening of 8 by 11 inches, and is recommended by manufacturers for use with pets up to 40 pounds.
My daughter is 38 pounds, which is exactly how much a 3-year-old male child in the 95 percentile weighs. Believe me; a 38-pound child can fly through a medium pet door like a gnat through the Lincoln Tunnel.
Carol Ranfone knows this fact all to well. Her son Matthew was just 2 years old when he slipped through the family’s pet door, into an enclosed patio area, through a fence, and into the backyard pool. Carol found her little boy a few minutes later floating face down in the pool. Matthew died less than two weeks later from injuries he sustained falling into the pool.
Sadly, the Ranfone’s story is not unique. Studies show more than 100 children nationwide have died or been injured while exiting through a home pet door in the last 10 years. This troubling statistic coupled with the fact that many parents are unaware of the hidden dangers associated with pet doors, Carol Ranfone launched a website to raise awareness and advocate change.
“Our family has chosen to respond to Matthew’s death by informing the public and working to ensure that pet doors are made safer,” Carol says. “Matthew didn’t have a chance to grow up, but we hope that our advocacy will keep other children out of harm’s way.”
Child safety experts warn parents to be aware of the risks associated with pet access doors. Studies show young children can sustain serious injuries, drown, wander into streets, get lost, or die after exiting a home through a pet door.
Does your home have a pet door? Can your child squeeze through it?
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