Pet Safety | Keeping Your Pet Safe While Traveling

Summer is almost upon us! How many of you have travel plans this summer? Chances are, many of you do, and some of you are probably taking your pet along with you. The team at Johl & Company in Westwood, NJ wants to share some pet safety tips with you for when your four legged friends are traveling this summer.

First and foremost, you should try to avoid air travel with your pets. Unless your pet is small enough to fit under your seat, a car ride is a much better (and less stressful) situation for them.

However, if you do have to fly with your pet, you should always try to book a direct flight. If your pet has to be transferred from one plane to another, there is a chance that they could be mishandled, handled roughly, or placed on the tarmac during adverse weather.

Additionally, you should purchase a shipping crate that is big enough for your pet, and is USDA-approved. Your pet should have room to move around if they need, stand up, and lay down in their shipping crate. You should also include a towel or some bedding for your pet to sleep, or to absorb any accident. Also, make sure you put a little dry food in their crate in the event of a layover.

The better option for traveling with your pet this summer, is to travel by car. However, traveling with your pet by car still requires more than just getting them in a seat and going!

Prior to your trip, you should take your pet on several shorter trips so they can grow accustomed to riding in the car. Additionally, you should prepare a travel kit for your pet. This kit should include food, their leash, tools/supplies to pick up their waste, medication, and any documents (like vaccination records) for your pet.

Similar to flying, we recommend your pet ride in crate while in the car. This crate should follow the same specifications as a crate you would get them for flying. However, a crate is not always necessary while traveling by car. If you opt to not use a crate, make sure you have a good way to secure your pet to a seatbelt.

Finally, you should never leave your pet alone in a parked car. In summer, it gets hot, and this could affect your pet’s health.

Safe travels this summer, enjoy your vacations, and make sure you practice good pet safety!

Do you need an insurance quote?

If you would like to receive a quote for your auto insurance, or want to inquire about travel insurance, you can request a quote, here!

Be Safe When Gardening This Summer

Many people in the Westwood, NJ area, and all across the country, love gardening! Some people grow tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, while others grow fruits, plants, or flowers. Many people do not care what they are growing, it is just a good excuse to get outside, enjoy some physical activity, and feel some pride in what they are growing. If you don’t garden, but would like to start, see Better Homes & Gardens’ article on starting your garden.

How can you maximize your safety while gardening this summer?

Dress properly

Wearing proper shoes, goggles, and long pants can help prevent injury from machines, or exposure to harmful chemicals. Always, always, always wear gloves as well!

Limit how much you do at once

If you are spending long hours in your garden on a hot day, you may become dehydrated and sick. Make sure to drink lots of water and limit how much time you are spending in the hot sun.

Check to make sure your equipment is working properly

Before starting any serious work, make sure your equipment is all in working order. If your equipment is broken, and you start using it, an accident is much more likely to occur.

Do not approach, or try to handle, bugs or animals

Even if you are approaching in a friendly and harmless manner, bugs and animals do not know this. Bugs and animals have a natural instinct to defend themselves, and could bite or sting you in defense.

Remove debris from your garden and lawn

Debris will attract animals and other unwanted creatures to your garden, like ticks. Keeping your garden clear of all debris will help to minimize bugs and animals in your garden. Additionally, if there are any buckets near your garden that collect water, empty them ASAP. Mosquitos love to use these kinds of buckets for breeding.

Be careful while handling gas

If you are using a machine that requires gas, be sure to handle the gasoline with care, and not spill it on yourself or your garden.

The team at Johl & Company, an independent insurance agency in Westwood, NJ, hopes that you have a happy and safe summer of gardening.

Make Sure You Consider Wedding Insurance

How much is peace of mind worth to you for your big day? Probably enough to get wedding insurance to ensure that your big day is covered. Wedding insurance is an insurance policy that covers you should an event occur that cancels or postpones your wedding.

What does wedding insurance cover?

What your insurance covers will be dependent on your policy. However, generally, wedding insurance covers the following:

Cancellation or postponement of your wedding due to illness, an accident, or bereavement
If your catering company, venue, or other supplier goes out of business
Loss or damage of wedding attire and presents
Loss or damage to the flowers, rings, or cakes
Any expenses involving having to retake wedding pictures or videos

Usually honeymoons are not covered under your insurance policy, however, you typically will be able to bundle that into your insurance at an additional cost.

Please note that wedding insurance does not cover you for something you already knew about, or for getting cold feet and canceling your wedding!

Below, our friends at Travelers discuss insuring your wedding. If you are in the Westwood, NJ area and would like to receive a quote on your insurance, feel free to contact us today!

Renters Insurance | Question to Ask When Choosing an Apartment

For young adults, choosing an apartment to live in can be a stressful decision. A lot of times, you are either moving to a new city, or moving back to a city from college or a job you’d previously moved for. With so many decisions out there for apartments, how can you make sure you are making the best choice for your needs?

The team at Johl & Company in Westwood, NJ offers a few questions you should ask yourself to help in the decision process.

Question 1: What kind of building/community do I want to live in?

This may seem like a question that isn’t important. You just want to find a building that is affordable and that you like. However, you must take your lifestyle into consideration when choosing a building. If you are a light sleeper that sleeps on a normal sleep schedule, having people live above you may become an issue. What if those people are night owls who stay up all hours of the night, making noise? That might be a problem for you. On the contrary, if you are a night owl, you might consider living in a bigger building where you will not disturb people as easily.

Question 2: How do I plan on commuting to work?

Are you planning to drive, take public transportation, bike, or walk to work? No matter what your plan is, choosing an apartment that is conducive to that is important. If you plan on biking or walking to work, you need to choose an apartment in close proximity to your place of employment. Additionally, if you are planning on taking public transportation to work, make sure your apartment is near a public transportation station.

Question 3: What other expenses are there with my apartment?

Rent is an expense that you can expect with your apartment. However, what other expenses will there be? Every apartment building is different in terms of what you have to pay for. For example, is parking included in the cost of rent, or is a parking spot extra? What utilities will you have to pay on top of rent? Utilities can include water, gas, electric, and cable/internet. If you choose an apartment that has these things included in rent, you could save a lot of money! Additionally, where you live will affect your renters insurance policy. If you live in a safer neighborhood, you can expect your renters insurance to be less expensive.

Question 4: What do I enjoy doing in your time off?

Every neighborhood has something to offer! Neighborhoods all have their cultural backgrounds and things that make them unique. Determining what you enjoy doing, and what neighborhood will best fit that, will make your decision much easier.

Want to receive a quote on renters insurance?

Are you moving to the Westwood, NJ area and looking for renters insurance? If so, the team at Johl & Company want to serve you. Click here to receive a quote.

Swimming Pool Safety Tips

According to the CDC, there are 3,500 who die each year from drowning accidents. This proves that while pools can be fun, safety should be taken seriously. Unfortunately, many of the drownings we see each year involve small children at a swimming pool.

Below, the team at Johl & Company in Westwood, NJ offers some tips to keep you, your family, and friends safe this summer.

1. Fence your pool in

Having a fence around your pool area, with a gate that locks, can decrease the chances of someone entering the area unsupervised. This is especially helpful in the cases of small children.

2. Keep your pool covered

When you are not using your pool, it is wise to keep a covering over your pool and remove any ladders or steps used to enter the pool.

3. Install a pool alarm

When someone or something breaks the surface of the water, your pool alarm will notify you. This will help you in a couple of ways. First, you will know if someone is using your pool without your consent or knowledge. Second, if someone accidentally falls into the pool, you will get an alert. An alarm can also keep your pool clean as you will receive a notification if a branch or other debris falls into your water.

4. Keep close supervision of your child

Don’t get distracted while you are at the pool with your child. It can only take a moment for an accident to happen. While you child, or children, are swimming, it is smart to always have someone watching the water. If your child cannot yet swim well, make sure they sear arm floaties or a life jacket.

5. Keep your pool water clear

Keeping your pool water clean and clear is important. It is important to make sure chemical levels are being properly monitored.

6. Learn CPR

Chances are, if someone starts to drown in your pool, you will be one of the first people to aid the victim. Knowing CPR could be important as the initial responder. You should receive and maintain your CPR certification.

Valley Health System in Ridgewood, NJ offers a CPR class, click here for more information.

Swimming pool safety and its affect on your homeowner’s insurance.

We hope that the above tips can help keep you and your family safe this summer. Please note that your pool is covered under your homeowners policy. However, your liability will increase with a pool so you may need to make adjustments to your policy. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us today or get a quote, here.