Something I hadn't thought about but need to look into in my area ....
 

Firefighters Across the U.S. Now Equipped with Pet Oxygen Masks


A community campaign is outfitting firefighters across the U.S.
with specially-designed pet oxygen masks that are saving pets'
lives in home fire rescues.


(PRWEB) June 29, 2005 -- Firefighters in more than 150 U.S.
cities and towns are now equipped with more than 850 sets of
specially-designed pet resuscitation masks, thanks to a unique
community campaign. And, firefighters in several recipient
communities have already put the masks to use to save the lives
of family pets rescued from home fires.

The "Best Friends Cause for Paws" Campaign is the work of Best
Friends Pet Care Inc., a chain of pet boarding kennels with
locations in 18 states. The campaign is a matching program that
encourages contributions from the public towards the purchase of
pet oxygen masks for local fire departments. Community donations
are matched on a sliding scale, depending on proximity to a Best
Friends location.

“As a company, Best Friends has always been active in supporting
animal welfare programs in our local communities,” says Dennis M.
Dolan, President and CEO of Best Friends. “We’re delighted that
this campaign is already having a real impact on the welfare of
pets in our communities,” adds Dolan.

Firefighters in Connecticut, New Jersey, North Carolina, Illinois
and Texas have reported using the donated masks to save the life
of a dog or cat rescued from a fire.

The cone-shaped masks are donated to fire departments in sets of
three -- a large canine, a small canine and a feline mask – to
accommodate a wide range of pets. According to firefighters, the
special masks are important because pets are at special risk of
smoke inhalation since they often hide during the commotion of a
home fire. Human oxygen masks don’t fit properly over the
animal’s snout.

Contributions to Best Friends Cause for Paws campaign come from
people of all ages and walks of life: from elementary school
students to volunteer firefighters to families concerned about
their own pets. Individuals and community groups have contributed
almost $16,000 so far, and community support is so strong that
another 1,000 sets of masks are on order. For more information
about the campaign, visit the Pet Rescue Masks page of Best
Friends website at http://www.bestfriendspetcare.com.


About Best Friends
Best Friends is the largest provider of pet care services – pet
boarding and day care, grooming, and training -- in the U.S. with
40 operating locations in 18 states and two more scheduled to
open this summer. The company, based in Norwalk, CT, owns and
operates pet care facilities in California, Colorado,
Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York,
North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.

Debra Bennetts
BEST FRIENDS PET CARE
Visit Our Site http://www.bestfriendspetcare.com/

Interesting idea. I would think if a fire broke out you would just get them out of the house as fast as you could, not take the time to find the masks and put them on the dogs. I guess if you were trapped it would be a good thing though.

Our local vet donates them to our EMS/Fire Department. We keep a set on the Ambulance and a set on the engine. Ask your local vets to donate to make sure your EMS/Fire departments have them. It would be great PR for the Vets in your area:D