Last year in the U.S. over 10,000 family pets drowned needlessly in swimming pools and walled lakes, along with countless millions of other creatures – raccoons, possums, squirrels, frogs, chipmunks, mice, etc.
THE PROBLEM: When a pet or other animal jumps or falls in a pool, walled lake or pond, they have no trouble swimming for a while but, without a way out, they eventually drown from exhaustion. Though drownings occur by day, they occur most often at night leaving the pool owner or lakefront resident with that cruel surprise of a dead pet or animal floating in their pool or skimmer basket.
SOLUTION: The animal rescue device known as Skamper-Ramp® - in two sizes: regular and Big Dog™. Skamper-Ramp safeguards against finding any dead animals – pets or critters – in your pool.
Q. Why does it work?
A. Skamper-Ramp is an escape ramp: a means of preventing animals from drowning. The science is that ALL living beings - domestic or wild, bugs, animals or humans, whether they are colorblind or not - see 550nm wavelength, which is the color white. As long as the Skamper-Ramp is installed so that a few inches of the "nose" (the curved end) are under water and the ramp breaks the surface, then the animal will see it. The other end of the ramp is like a box, and it is that "open-box" end that must be snug to a vertical wall (whether it's a pool, floating or fixed dock, walled pond, spa, or stern/swim platform of a boat) in order to provide the rigidity necessary for an animal to "skamper" out on the ramp.
Q. What size do I need?
A. We suggest that the smaller Skamper-Ramp be used for animals up to 45 lbs - however we have had 120 lb sheepdogs go out on the small ramp; all that happens is it becomes more vertical, and may even crease, but it will still work. You can bend but you can't actually break the ramp or its flexible plastic wing strips. The Skamper-Ramp Big Dog™ is best used for larger animals, up to 90+ lbs, for floating docks or houseboats, or with boat swim platforms. Those who wish more buoyancy or to use with a larger animal can try securing flotation “noodles” on the underside of the ramp, away from the “nose” end. But remember it is the box end that is sturdiest and most rigid. For people with very small animals, the larger ramp can be used as an indoor ramp for pets weighing less than 25 lbs to get up onto, or down from furniture.
