Dear Abby: I'm writing to relate our tragic story in the hope that other lives may be saved. Last May, our beautiful 2-year-old nephew drowned in the backyard pool. His parents were diligent about safety gates, locks and; latches in their home. They had thought of everything the baby could possible get into.
Tragically, they didn't think of one thing — the pet door. While his mother was making homemade ice cream, he slipped through it and into the backyard. By the time she had raced through the house twice looking for him, it was too late.
This has been the most difficult thing our family has ever been through and we will never get over it. I pray every day for his mother and father. The guilt and the heartache they both feel are unimaginable.
Please, Abby, tell your readers that no matter how small a pet door is, a child may still be able to go through it. There didn't have to be a pool involved; he could have easily gotten into the street and hit by a car.
- Aunt Phyllis in NC
Dear Aunt Phyllis: My deepest sympathy to you and to the child's grieving parents for your tragic loss. Thank you for wanting to alert other parents of small children that if they have pet doors in areas where children can play, those doors should be secured or the little ones confined to another area. Constant adult supervision is imperative.
- Abigail Van Buren “Dear Abby”