There's one problem that you probably never have to worry about as the weather warms up unless you or someone you know is a pool owner.
Every summer lots of small animals such as frogs and squirrels, reptiles and critters die in swimming pools across the country. This occurs because it's easy for these animals to jump into the pool, but getting out is usually impossible. They either end up drowning or going down the pool's drain.
After receiving a concerned call from a friend who kept finding dead frogs in his pool, biologist Rich Mason knew something needed to be done.
"Because I'm a wildlife biologist, I'm the one who gets called when friends have snakes in their garage, that kind of thing," Mason told The Dodo. "This friend was pulling out dead frogs every day from their pool ... I was kind of shocked."
After some extensive research and speaking with many pool owners, the Maryland-based wildlife expert came up with a genius solution - the FrogLog.
The FrogLog is an inflatable device that attaches to the side of the pool so animals in the water can easily climb out.
Click on the next page to see what the device looks like and how it saves the lives of many animals.
Mason started making the device out of his garage using foam and a sewing machine. Nowadays, FrogLog is widely available and it's a hit with pool owners all over.
"It was pretty altruistic, just about helping animals," Mason told The Dodo.
"It was such a relief to not find dead frogs in the pool's filtration basket, or floating on the surface," a customer from Connecticut said. "I also had a resident bullfrog who lived comfortably in the pool, would haul out on the FrogLog for a rest, and use it to get into and out of the pool whenever he wished."
Mason is really proud of his invention and loves to hear about the countless animals it has helped.
"The good part is we get such great feedback from people, really passionate emails saying this is the best thing since sliced bread," Mason said.
You can visit the FrogLog website for more information about the device. You can also purchase it for $33 on Amazon.
[H/T: The Dodo]
