When a child first learns to crawl or otherwise move about independently, one of the first steps families generally take to "childproof" the home is to lock away chemicals, cleaners and other household products that can be poisonous-or at the very least, make sure they're out of reach. What many families may not realize is that similar steps should be taken to protect their pets. 

There are a number of everyday household products that are poisonous to animals. Now, to help pet owners identify these toxins, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center has launched a new interactive feature called "Make Your Pet's Home Poison Safe" on its Web site. 

The online experience lets users walk through an animated model of a house and search for poisonous items in four rooms: bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and garage. Each room features five to six hazardous items frequently found in the home (medications, cleaning products, foods, plants, etc.). The user can mouse over the item and click to safely store or remove it from the room. Simultaneously, information about the danger will pop up.

Once all of the items are cleaned in a room, the user will automatically move on to the next room until all four rooms are cleaned. When the home is free of toxins a reward screen will pop up and ask the user if they would like to play again or offer additional information on household toxins. The home is fun for all ages and the information provided is timeless.

Users have a faithful companion in "Cooper the Careful Canine," an animated character who appears throughout the interactive experience. Cooper uses expressive behaviors such as barking, nodding and panting as visitors click on the various toxic items-helping users keep on track.

For more than 25 years, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center has been the premier animal poison control center in North America. The specially trained staff provides assistance to pet owners and specific analysis and treatment recommendations to veterinarians pertaining to toxic chemicals and dangerous plants, products or substances. In 2002, the center handled over 73,000 cases. For more information, visit www.apcc.aspca.org.
 

An interactive Web site helps pet owners identify substances that could hurt animals.