When a house fire ignites, most people’s first instinct is to run outside and away from the flames and smoke. For cats and dogs, their impulse is to go hide. Firefighters work hard to ensure our furry friends are rescued before things turn tragic. Despite the fast response from the fire department, animals like humans, suffer the effects of smoke inhalation and even become unconscious.
A cat in New Orleans was in this predicament when a fire broke out in the house. When crews arrived, they found the feline lifeless; firefighters placed an oxygen mask designed specifically for pets on the cat and it was revived within minutes.
The [Wag N’ O2][1] Fur Life Program is a company that designs oxygen masks for family pets. The masks come in three different sizes to accommodate large and small animals like dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, guinea pigs, and birds. Despite these masks being a lifesaver, only an estimated 23% of all fire departments carry them and only a little over 1% are found in EMS vehicles in the United States. People interested in purchasing pet oxygen masks to donate to their local fire departments can do so by visiting [Wag’n O2][2]. [1]: http://www.petoxygenmasks.org/ [2]: http://www.petoxygenmasks.org/make_a_difference.html