New research shows that at least 10 toddlers a year die by squeezing their way through a pet door and working their way to the backyard swimming pool unchecked.

The research, which tallied coroner’s reports and media accounts of child deaths, recommends that pet door manufacturers include leaflets or apply warning notices to its products to draw parents’ attention to the risks.

And, though every parent must be held responsible for his/her own child’s safety, an 8″x11″ rubber flap intended for a pup might not always seem the logical spot for a toddler to exit the house, and could get overlooked in the general childproofing of the home.

Something to think about before you take the kids to visit Uncle Eric and his cute, harmless chihuahuas this Memorial Day weekend.

Consumer Alert: Children’s Deaths Tied to Pet Doors [ABC News]

(Photo: :mrMark:)

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