If you’re a pet lover you probably can’t imagine a more terrifying experience than coming home to find your pet missing. It’s growing increasingly common for dogs to be stolen from homes or yards for any number of disturbing reasons such as “bait dogs” to train fighting dogs, animal testing and biomedical experimentation, or the offer of a lucrative reward to name a few.

Purebred dogs are the most common victim since their pedigrees have actual “street value.” As purebred dogs become increasingly popular, stolen dogs can be sold for up to half the price that legitimate breeders offer ownership.

If you have an alarm system in your home, your dog’s safety is also protected while he or she is inside. And even better, if you have an outside pet, install a security camera in your yard so that would-be thieves will see the camera and possibly be dissuaded from following through with the actual abduction.

Should you be the unfortunate victim of such a frightening crime, take immediate action by calling your local police and animal control center and filing a report. After that, contact your local shelters and monitor pet ads listed in newspapers and online since pet thieves who are looking to profit will most likely be using these resources to promote the sale.

The bottom line is that your pet is more than likely an important member of your family. And just as you make sure that your family members are protected with a home security system, your four-legged companion deserves the same security, too!

It’s common knowledge among law enforcement agencies that July is the month of the year that sees the most crime with regard to home invasions since most people typically use this month for vacation, leaving the home unoccupied.

Similarly, the back-to-school season can leave homes equally unoccupied between time spent away shopping for clothes and supplies or even the eventual long hours during the day when occupants are at school.

Why not use this time of year to make sure that you’ve included some lesson plans of your own by making sure your home security system has the technology you need to keep this otherwise busy time of year running smoothly and safely?

For example, there are now advances in home security technology that can alert you via a text message or email when a major event happens at your home such as a child leaving for or coming home from school.

Or how about technology that allows you to arm or disarm your system remotely through a computer or phone? That means if a child accidently forgets to arm the system when leaving for school you can still make sure your home is protected by setting the alarm yourself from work. How’s that for peace of mind?

Closing thoughts

As summer winds down it can sometimes be easy to let your guard down. Instead, make sure that your home stays as protected as it needs to be year round by incorporating the latest technology being offered by home alarm monitoring companies such as ADT.

Summer is in full swing and children are enjoying outside activities once again. While it’s always recommended that children enjoy as much outside-time as possible, it’s important to also remember that parents can ensure their children’s safety outdoors as much as the home alarm system provides safety at home by following these three helpful tips:

1.       Stay in Touch. Make sure your children keep you informed of where they are headed to whenever they walk out the door to play. Explain to them that any deviation from the original plan needs to be immediately communicated to you.

2.       Set Boundaries. Make sure your children understand the maximum distance they are allowed to physically  be away from home and make sure it’s never too far to make it back home safely once darkens starts to descend. Also keep in mind that this distance and timeline will need to be adjusted as the seasons and day light change throughout the year.

3.       Teach Awareness. Sure, it’s easy for kids to get caught up in the activities they are involved in, but coach your children to understand the importance of staying aware of their surroundings – specifically changes in surroundings they are familiar with. This awareness can serve to have your children remove themselves from a situation they might otherwise be unlikely to if they had not been as aware initially.

And if you want an added safety element this summer, why not get your children their own phones? Just as you have your home armed with a security system that rings out in an emergency, a phone will enable your children to ring out when they need assistance.

As most people know, crime increases during the summer months. So what better time than now to revisit three popular home safety tips that might have been neglected in the rush to enjoy summertime fun!

1.      Maintenance Matters. Sure, it may be too hot to spend hours on outdoor home maintenance, but never neglect trimming the hedges and bushes that surround your home’s windows and doors since they can serve as a convenience hiding place for a would-be intruder if left untrimmed.

2.      Longer Daylight Hours. Yes, we all like the fact that the days seem longer in the summer months. But what this means, too, is that would-be intruders will be using the abbreviated evening hours for their own opportunity. One way to counter against this night-time worry is to install motion-sensor lights outside of all your home’s windows and doors to startle and would-be intruder away.

3.      Privacy Always Matters. It’s often tempting in the summer months to keep curtains open more often than usual. If you want to do this, make sure that items that contain personal information, such as bank statements and bills, are kept out of view from anyone looking in through the windows. Your security could be compromised without anyone actually entering your home if you leave the information accessible for anyone looking in.

A lot of homeowner’s put merit into spring cleaning. Why not use the summer months as a time to make sure your home’s security is maintained at an appropriate level to keep you and your family safe? Take a look at some of the great home security options being offered by companies such as ADT.

While it is most common to think of theft in relation to property crime, identify theft is on the increase and becoming one of the fastest growing crimes in America, witnessing a 22% increase from 2007.

So, just as it’s important to protect your physical property from would-be intruders through the use of burglar or other alarm monitoring systems, it’s equally important to protect your identity from wrong doers.

Following are some categories of identity theft as provided by the Federal Trade Commission (ranked from highest to lowest in frequency of occurrence):

• Credit card fraud
• Utilities fraud
• Bank fraud
• Other types of fraud
• Employment fraud
• Loan fraud
• Government fraud

In 2008, there were 10 million victims of identity theft with each individual spending an average of 330 hours to correct the damage caused by the theft.

Reports also indicate that even though we live in a high-tech world, low-tech methods are still the most popular method for stealing identity, with stolen documents and wallets accounting for 43% of methods used.

Identity Theft Can Occur at Home

What this means is that just as an intruder can come into your home to steal your electronics, they can also take documents that might help them to steal your identity.

A television can be replaced by a simple trip to an electronics store, whereas it could take weeks and months to repair the theft of your identity.

So, if you think you don’t need a home alarm system since tangible items are easily replaced, think again: your wallet or other important papers are just as vulnerable as any physical object in a home invasion.

If you’re like most people, you run around in the morning trying to get to work or school and sometimes forget to arm your home security system when leaving because there’s already so much on your mind.

Chances are you then do one of two things: you either backtrack home to arm the system or you spend all day fretting over the “what ifs” of life. Either way, neither scenario is ideal.

Fortunately, you now have a third option that is less stressful and a whole lot more productive: arm your system remotely.

Yes, you read that right. Thanks to advances in home security technology you can now arm or disarm your alarm system remotely through the use of your cell phone or computer.

That means you’ll no longer have to fret all day or spend time heading home, but it’s also a great resource for another reason.

If a situation changes at home where you need to disarm your system midday for a contractor or anyone else you want to allow access to your home, you can now disarm your alarm without revealing your code.

Your list of things to do in the morning just got a lot shorter thanks to advances offered by certain alarm systems.

Why not take advantage of the latest technologies being offered by some security providers such as ADT and either upgrade your system or install an initial one that has streamlined efficiencies such as those mentioned?

Most of us remember the days of science fiction films where the technology being shown seemed totally out of reach. Not so when it comes to wireless home security alarm systems that are becoming increasingly commonplace in today’s high-tech fast-paced world.

Now, instead of having an arm full of groceries, kids, or pets and still trying to input your manual code at a wall-mounted keypad (juggling all the way), you can simply use a key fob to remotely arm or disarm your system. How’s that for an almost hands-free process?

Additionally,  systems monitored by names such as ADT now allow you to arm or disarm your home alarm system from your cell phone and computer – regardless of where you’re located. That means if you get a call mid-afternoon that a contractor needs to gain access to your home, you no longer have to take time away from work to run home to disarm your system, or even more risky, to reveal your alarm code.

With advanced features being offered you simply disarm your alarm system via your cell phone or computer, and when you know the contractor has left )often-times by receiving a text alert from your system) you simply rearm you alarm the same way – through your cell phone or computer! Pretty easy, wouldn’t you agree?

If you’ve been thinking about installing an alarm system or have a system that doesn’t include this new easy-to-use technology, now might be the time to consider either installation or an upgrade.

It’s always a time of interest when the FBI releases their Annual Crime Statistics Uniform Crime Report (UCR), and the good news for homeowners is that the FBI’s 2010 numbers indicated an average 2.8 percent decline in the number of property crimes over the previous year.

This might indicate that the need for home alarm systems is not as imperative as it once was, but an FBI spokesman commented “there are many factors that go into crime levels” such as economic conditions, and since the country’s economic condition continues to struggle, these declining numbers may once again shift.

As such, home alarm systems might become more of a factor.

Home Alarm Systems Could Contribute to Decreased Statistics

Another item to consider is that statistics may be one thing, but home alarm systems that ring through to 24/7 monitoring systems like ADT are another – and the protection offered by home alarm systems such as those should never be minimized.

The Sign that Deters

Another item the report does not cover is whether yard signage provided by some home alarm monitoring companies like ADT helps as a deterrent to property crime. Still, one must agree that that such signage does deter would-be intrusions.

Knowing all of this, the message seems clear:  the signage provided by home alarm companies should be prominently displayed to dissuade would-be intruders.

The Orlando Sentinel reported in February of this year that “most burglars don’t want to contend” with a dog and as such, having a dog as a pet can often be a great way to enhance your home alarm system. Dogs have been used throughout history as a form of guarding and protection, so this is nothing new; but a visit to some of the more popular breeds as a security companion is always worth reexamining.

Certain breeds that are considered well-suited for protection as a watch-dog include the Scottish terrier, Poodle, Dachshund, and Shih Tzu. Note here that the distinction is “watch dog” and not “guard dog” since the primary goal is to alert you that there is activity occurring. Often, that alert is all that is needed to dissuade a would-be intruder from wanting to gain access to your property.

However, the same article went on to point out that some home insurance companies will not be able to provide  insurance to residences that have certain breeds of dogs living on the property such as large breed guard dogs. So, before you fall in love with that cute little puppy, it’s best to call your insurance agent to make sure your selection will keep you insurable!

Also, if you do have an alarm system in your home make sure it contains a pet sensitive motion detector such as those offered by ADT before bringing your new companion home!

Most people probably don’t think that trimming shrubbery or trees is a measure of home security, but surprisingly, it is.

Overgrown trees and shrubs can prove problematic for two reasons:

1. Tall trees can become a natural lightening rod during inclement weather, as well as having the potential to crash into a home during heavy wind storms such as hurricanes or tornadoes.  Once the structure of the home has been compromised, it is open to invasion not only from the natural elements, but to those of a criminal nature, as well.
2. Overgrown shrubs around windows and doors serve as the perfect hiding place for would-be intruders to plant themselves while either casing the residence or waiting for an opportune time to gain entry.  Additionally, tall tree limbs that rub against a home can provide easy second-story window access for would-be intruders, and since second-story windows are frequently left unlocked, this scenario occurs far more often than not.

Sure, a home security system is always the best defense, but exercising prudent judgment concerning property maintenance is an important element to home safety, as well.