Your Dog Might Not Be Only One Using The Doggy Door

  Posted on August 12, 2012  by Joy of Living  No comments

It seems burglars are getting more creative….or desperate, all the time.  An Associated Press article written last week described a would-be burglar’s attempt to break into a home in Northern California.  The homeowner was asleep when her doorbell rang.  Her dog started barking and the woman got up to see what was wrong.  She saw a woman heading for the back yard while putting on rubber gloves.

The doggy door started rattling and at that point the homeowner called police.  The police arrived and arrested the burglar, who was wedged in the doggy door.

Although not the most common entry point for burglars, several burglaries have occurred via doggy door entry.  A teenager in Minnesota was caught using the doggy door to steal money and valuables from neighbors.

Just days after football player Junior Seau’s suicide, a man squeezed through the doggy door and stole a $500 bicycle from the house.

If you have a doggy door, it’s a good idea to be sure it’s secure.  There are many options available at a variety of price points from $10 up to $1,000.  Home security companies such as Honeywell offer a Total Connect app that will monitor a pet door and send an alert to the homeowner to advise them the door is being accessed.

Other options include the PetSafe SmartDoor that reads radio frequencies from a key on a dog’s collar.  The SureFflap door allows pet entry by reading a microchip implanted in the pet.

If you have a doggy door, do some shopping to compare the various security options available to prevent an unwelcome visitor in your home.

 

Source:  Associated Press Article “Burglars Don’t Care If Door Belongs To Man Or Mutt” , by Sue Manning