The Obama Family Dog!

This week, America has elected a new president. It’s the first time in my lifetime that there will be kids in the White House! I remember reading when I was little about the families in the White House and their many pets. There have been a variety of dogs and cats as well as hamsters, birds, horses, alligators, a boa constrictor, and many more.

President-elect Barack Obama has already announced his two daughters are getting a dog. Regardless of what dog they choose, the family should think about becoming certified in pet CPR and first aid through a Red Cross class.

The Red Cross offers CPR and first aid classes for dogs and cats. The classes allow owners to learn how to care for their pets in the event of an emergency. The classes teach topics like how to perform CPR, what should be in a pet CPR kit, how to provide basic wound care, how to include your pet in your emergency evacuation plan, how to safely approach dogs and cats, and many more beneficial tips for taking care of your pets.

For more information about pet CPR and first aid classes, visit our website at http://www.redcrosschicago.org/ and click “take a class.”

-Tim Carbonara is a Marketing & Communications intern at the Greater Chicago chapter of the Red Cross. He loves his little poodle terrier, Boo.