A. In the US 71% of households own a pet – and it breaks out to almost 75 million dogs, 88+ million cats and 24+ million small pets in those households.
And of the 71% of households with a pet, 53% of also have a pool and/or spa (per the APPMA
2007/2008
survey)? Did you also know that the odds of a
pet drowning (per the American Pet Association)
are 1 in every 1,028 in the US alone?
There over 22 % of U.S.
households have more than 1 dog, and there are and more
than 19% of U.S. households [avma.org 2007] have two or
more cats?!? That means that over 41% of us have an
average of 2 dogs and/or cats, and spend a lot of money
to buy and care for them.
For instance, their health and safety counts for $24.5
billion in annual vet bills [avma.org, 2007] and $65+
billion annual pet product sales [appma.org, 2006]. Pets
and their safety are big business in the US!
Layers of safety protection are as important for pets as
it is for humans. So if you don’t think there is a need
or it is a problem, then know that pet safety was one of
the fastest growing segments in the pet industry even
before the recent pet food scare and now it is an even
faster growing segment.
Q. Why does it work?
A. Skamper-Ramp is an escape ramp: a means of
preventing animals and pets from drowning in a water
entrapment. It is a "keep it simple" solution
(KISS) to a very major problem – preventable animal
drowning – so it is a very simple-looking product. But
behind that simplicity is a lot of science and testing.
The science is that ALL living beings – domestic or
wild; bugs, animals, or humans; colorblind or not – see
the color white. As long as the Skamper-Ramp is
installed so that a few inches of the "nose" (curved)
end are under water and the ramp breaks the water’s
surface, the animal will see it. The other end of the
ramp is like a box top, and it is that "open-box-top"
end that must be very snug to a vertical wall -- whether
it's a pool, floating or fixed dock, walled pond, spa,
stern of a boat, or water troughs in pastures and remote
ranchland -- in order to provide the rigidity and
stability for an animal to "skamper" out on the ramp.
The new blowmolded models are the ones to sell, If your
customer plans on regular, frequent use of the ramp
by their pets or critters. This version snaps together,
is much more robust, and must be installed wherever it
is used.
NOTE:
With all models, from time to time, you should also
check that the rope is taut so the ramp is snug to the
pool wall.
For optimal performance with the earlier
models, it is important, from time to time to check and
make sure the nuts and bolts are tight - even though
these models are meant only for infrequent, emergency
use.
Q. What about vinyl-liner pools
and above ground pools?
A. Skamper-Ramps are designed for
permanent, vinyl liner pools - in-ground or above-ground
- by making sure that an animal’s claws don't touch
puncture the pool.
If you have a
deck surface that overhangs the pool wall, you will need
to re-lace the ramp’s rope to the set of holes below the
Skamper-Ramp logo so that the ramp can be snugged under
the overhang and closest to the side wall.
They will not cut through
or tear the vinyl, especially the new blowmolded version
which have much smoother edges adn are even more
buoyant. With the older versions, for peace of mind, you
could put a double layer of vinyl on the side wall of
the pool where the ramp will hang if you can get some
from your vinyl pool contractor, or tape the edges of
the ramp with vinyl repair tape, but neither should be
necessary.
If you have a soft-sided above-ground pool, some people
make adaptations to their deck (primarily affixing a
1x10 board under the deck with a brace behind it holding
it perpendicular to the deck and parallel to the pool
wall) so that the Skamper-Ramp will have a rigid flat
surface to brace against so it can be properly installed
and animals may escape using it.
Q. What is it made of?
A. The blowmolded SKR3 and
SKR4 versions were developed to withstand frequent use
by animals of all sizes - and it simply snaps together.
The original Skamper-Ramp is only meant for emergency /
infrequent use, preventing critter and small animal
drownings.
SKR3 and SKR4 models of Skamper-Ramps® are made from
blowmolded polyethylene. (Compared to the original SKR1
ramp that was fabricated from box-extruded, PP
(polypropylene)). They are all white, they float and are
chemical- and UV-resistant, rugged, and recyclable. For
this reason they will not yellow, mildew, grow
barnacles or become “scummy” over time. After 7 years of
research and in-pool testing we have found that these
materials have the longest life-span, are most
economical and lightest weight while providing the
greatest strength-to-weight ratio along with robustness;
animals like the feel of them under foot, they are most
reliable, are most versatile to use, and are easiest to
assemble.
Note: Hardware for attaching the
D-ring-clips to the pool deck HAS NOT been supplied due
to the wide variety of deck types and materials. Please
consult with your local hardware store or pool service
company to make the appropriate selection. If you are
not using existing anchors to tie to, we suggest
a 1/4" pan-head stainless steel screw that is 1 3/8"
long and a plastic or lead concrete anchor for sinking
into your poured deck; or simply a 1/4" pan-head
stainless steel bolt 1 1/2 - 2 " long for your wooden
decking if you are not using cleats.
Q. How long will it last?
A. As stated above, the ramp is made of
blowmolded polyethylene or box-extruded
polypropylene--some of the strongest, most durable
materials available that can float. In addition, the
materials used are UV- and chemical- resistant. Because
of this, we know it will hold up for a very long
time--one has been installed in a pool in Charleston, SC
for over 5 years, still looks great and is going strong.
While we can't make guarantees, it should last a very
long time!
NOTE:
For optimal performance it is important, from time to
time, to check and make sure the nuts and bolts are
tight and the rope is taut so the ramp is snug to the
pool wall.
Q. Why do they need a Skamper-Ramp
if they have a fenced pool or they have trained their
dog to the steps?
A. Fence gates do get opened and don’t
always get securely closed. Many animals manage to get
over or under fencing. Alarms are great if someone is
around to hear them go off. In training a pet to the
steps (which are u
nderwater
and can’t be seen by the pet), you have actually trained
your pet to some marker, usually a visible plant. But do
you know exactly what that marker is that your pet is
using? What if that marker, (perhaps a plant) is moved
for a party, or gets cut down when remodeling changes
the landscape – how will your pet find the steps then?
What if it is the dark of night, or they are spooked,
chased or fall in, or if some other animal gets to your
pool? The situation is not the same then. And while you
may have trained your dog to the steps, that is when you
go to the pool with them, not necessarily when you are
not there.
The Skamper-Ramp can (and should) be your “marker if it
is mounted near the steps so that your pet swims to it
and either goes out on it or the steps – either way it
works whether or not you are around and whether or not
they situation is familiar.
The most successful means of preventing drowning of
humans and animals alike is
layers of
safety protection and there is great value to the
peace-of-mind
that comes from knowing there is one additional,
inexpensive layer of drowning prevention in addition to
your fence and/or your training.
Q. What size do I need?
A. We suggest that the new blowmolded
versions of Skamper-Ramp serve for most any size pet or
animal, even up to ~ 100 kgs, and for frequent use - the
Super Skamper-Ramp size is meant for the largest animals
or longest distance to the water.
Any size animal can use the SKR3…it was
primarily designed to allow frequent use by any pet, or
for la
rger
dogs to get their hind legs on sooner and hold up to
their weight and constant use. This size is required if
used in conjunction with a boat or dock—the extra length
is necessary to enable it to break the water’s surface.
The SKR4 is a new designed which replaces the
original SKR1 ramp. The SKR4 ramp has been tested
to hold up to 200 lbs but because of the smaller ramp
sizes its suggested that its used for small to medium
size pets.
The blowmolded versions have been redesigned as a hollow
"solid" piece for greater strength and ease of
assembling. In the case of the SKR3, Super Skamper-Ramp,
it helps when there is a greater distance to the water
or the animal is larger. The increased length of the
Super Skamper-Ramp version allows larger animals, more
shoulder to hip length. Of course boat sterns have more
variety than pools, so they often require a bit more
ingenuity to install but, where there is a will there is
a way!
Remember, it is the box end that is sturdiest and most
rigid and that needs to be very snug to the wall.
Sometimes rethreading the ropes into the two holes under
our logo, increases rigidity.
Regardless of the size
purchased, customers should be made aware that
dogs, specifically, should be trained
to use the ramp. Even if only emergency use is
anticipated, we strongly suggest that the dog is
familiarized with the ramp at the very least! Tips for
training dogs can be found under the Info tab of the
website.
For people on farms and ranches, an original Skamper-Ramp can be anchored in livestock/horse water troughs so that any animals that might fall in can escape, and won't drown and pollute the water as they decay. One less chore for the busy farmer/rancher, and peace of mind that there is good water for animals to drink.
Also, if people don't
cover their pools for winter, but do drain them,
hanging a Skamper-Ramp into the pool makes an easy
escape ramp for any animal that may get caught during
the off-season.
Q. Are there alternative anchoring
methods?
A. For those who have customers that
don’t want to drill holes into their decks, it is
possible to use alternative tie down points such as pool
cover attachment points, skimmers, railings, fencing
anchors, and water leveler covers.
There are many creative
ways to attach the ramp, you just want to ensure that
the ropes are not spread too far away from being
parallel, that the back and wings have a surface to rest
snuggly against and that the force is downward (diagonal
vectors) so it does not pull purely horizontally (or it
will pull out.) Please remind them, however, that the
knots may loosen when tied around a wider bar and should
be checked fairly frequently (depending on the amount of
use) just as the nuts and bolts need to be checked
frequently for tightness.
There is no one right way to install a
Skamper-Ramp - two criteria are critical:
1) a few inches of the round "nose" end need to be
submerged so that the white breaks the water surface so
the animal will see the white while swimming, even in
stress; and
2) it needs to be snug to a "rigid" flat, vertical wall
so that when a critter or pet gets on the end the
Skamper-Ramp has something to brace against. It is the
open-box-end and stabilizing wing-strips that provide
rigidity and robustness, especially when braced against
a vertical element, that make Skamper-Ramp work so
effectively.
The most important point about the installation is to
have the Skamper-Ramp
as snug to the
pool edge/wall as possible, while still having a
few inches of the “nose” end of the ramp submerged. To
accomplish that there are two sets of holes for
threading the connection rope through (one above the
Skamper-Ramp name and one below) in order to accommodate
deep copings or flush edges.
NOTE:
For optimal performance it is important, from time to
time, to check and make sure the nuts and bolts are
tight and the rope is taut so the ramp is snug to the
pool wall.
Q. Are there other uses besides
pools?
A. Our customers are creative in their
applications. Many people are buying Skamper-Ramps for
their floating docks, fixed docks, and boats (from the
stern transom or with the swim platforms); to use for
thin ice rescue; for indoor ramps for very small or
light weight animals; and in water troughs in pastures
and remote ranchland (gives critters that get in for a
drink a way out, rather than drowning and polluting the
water so animals won’t drink it). Hotels/motels/resorts,
municipal water system reservoirs, commercial/public
pools, marinas, and more can all take advantage of
Skamper-Ramp's drowning prevention. Let us know yours.
Q. What about use with boats?
A. Boats are not as universal in
construction as pools, so boats may require some
ingenuity and engineering for best use and installation
and awareness that chop may “kick it up”. Outboard
motors, are the easiest – as in the picture here,
simply brace the ramp on the stern alongside a motor and
tie both ropes to one stern cleat, or brace it on the
short swim platform and tie to a cleat or eyehook on the
stern, or even tie it on the top swim ladder step.
For larger boats with larger platforms that are higher
out of the water or particularly deep... you could still
use the top step of the ladder or, better yet, put two
eye hooks on the underside of the platform (if it is one
that doesn't have drain slots) ~9" apart. Then unlace
and re-tie the rope through the ramp in loops knotting a
snap hook into each loop side (perpendicular to how it
is delivered to you) - then when you want to use it,
snap the ramp in place. It will drag behind and under
the platform but, when the animal steps on the ramp, the
platform will keep it from going vertical and also from
kicking up due to chop or waves.
The back (“open box”) end of the ramp requires approximately 5” of a vertical surface to brace against, or must have the underside of a rigid horizontal surface to brace against. As with pool installation, the ramp also must have at least 3” submerged beneath the water. We will honestly tell you that if your boat stands higher in the water, has a sloped transom/stern or no place to “create” a brace it may not be appropriate for your boat. On the other hand, we have had a number of customers tell us that they “will figure it out and make it work”….essentially, where there is a will, there’s a way!
The other options would
be Pawsaboard or Doggiedocks.
Q. What happens if a ramp is
missing a part? Is it defective?
A. No, it is not
defective. In order to keep costs down, we have our ramp
kits assembled at the SC Vocational Rehabilitation
Department's Charleston Training Center. You can imagine
how tedious it is to count out all the nuts, bolts,
washers, etc for each kit and assemble it ...
occasionally there are mistakes and parts are miscounted
or missing. Having a ramp with a missing part does not
mean it is defective. Just let us know as soon as you
discover a part is missing and we will contact Skamper
for you and have them send the replacement part out by
first class US mail, so that you can assemble your ramp
and put it to use.
