Pets and Swimming Pools at Home

Written and verified by the lawyer Francisco María García

Last update: 27 December, 2022

Letting your pet inside your swimming can be great fun. However, you must take the necessary measures to prevent any accidents that can get other pets, children, and older adults seriously injured.

Pets and Swimming Pools at home: dangers

Pets and swimming pools at home can be great fun, but it’s also risky. On hot summer days, pets like to dive into the water just like people do. So as a responsible pet owner, you’ll have to be very careful, especially if the animal is alone in the pool area.

One of the biggest dangers for pets is falling into a swimming pool. In most cases, if they aren’t rescued in time, they end up drowning. Hence the importance of taking all the necessary measures to prevent any unfortunate accidents from happening.

Pets and home swimming pools: ways to avoid accidents

Safety Devices

Safety devices are very useful when it comes to making a safety fence around swimming pools. You can use a wide variety of fences, fencing, and even automatic systems to guarantee that the area is shut off. 

These fences or automatic safety devices are essential for keeping pets, children, and older adults away from the dangers of an unattended swimming pool. Have an expert install these devices to ensure their durability.

Aquatic Hazards

In addition to the most common accidents, you should also consider different aquatic hazards that are closely related to proper pool hygiene. For safe swimming, the pool water must be well-treated because a dog might swallow the water, among other things.

The pH of the water is one of the key elements of having a hygienic swimming pool. It should be kept clean and clear, and the pH should be between 7.2 and 7.6. Likewise, you should pay attention to the circulation of the water, cleaning and adding the chemicals that are required to keep the pool in good condition.

First Aid Kit

You should always have a basic first aid kit nearby. You also need to have floats and lifejackets on hand if you have a swimming pool. It’s always necessary to have a landline or mobile phone to call 911. Also, you need to keep emergency numbers in a visible place near the pool area.

Controlling the pool entryways

Another important safety measure is controlling the pool entryways in order to keep the entire family safe, including your pets.

Active Supervision

Active supervision of the pool is also a safety measure that’s necessary to prevent any pet-related accidents from happening. Therefore, when family, friends, and pets are in the pool area, you must designate at least one responsible adult to supervise the area. This person should know how to swim in order to take on this role.

A lot of people believe that animals know how to swim instinctively, especially dogs. However, that’s not always true. So, you must pay attention to your pet when you take them to a pool, lake, or the ocean. It’s also important not to force them into the water because you may cause experience a traumatizing experience.

Complete Fun

Pets tend to enjoy the fun that summer brings. There are different places in Spain and other parts of the world that offer water parks that are specially designed and designated for dogs and other pets.

For example, the Rodríguez Sahagún Park in Madrid has a swimming pool for dogs. Also, there’s the Can Jané Aqua Dog Park in Catalonia that has several swimming pools designed for different breeds and sizes of dogs.

The first exclusive swimming pool for dogs was opened in Madrid. At this swimming pool, humans are not allowed to swim. The area is called a Doggy Campus and it has a depth of between 80 and 90 centimeters.

Pets and swimming pools at home can be a synonym to lots of fun, as long as you apply all of these safety measures.