Oxygen Masks for Pets is a Life Saver

The Wag'N Pet Oxygen Masks will help save the lives of some of the more than half-million pets who die in house fires yearly.

That number, a half million, as it pertains to family pets who are killed in fires each year, is staggering to me.

Thanks to Project Paws Alive, a private, non-profit organization, word is being spread about pet oxygen masks and other life saving equipment, which includes vehicle heat alarms, cooling vests, to Law Enforcement, Fire, Search & Rescue, EMS, and Military nationwide.

According to an article in Fosters.com,

"Dozens of communities in New Hampshire have these pet-specific oxygen masks including Rochester and Dover fire departments." and thanks to Dr.Robert Wyand, owner of Great Falls Veterinary Hospital in Somersworth, " American Ambulance — which provides emergency response for many communities in the Tri-City and Seacoast areas — will be able to outfit the two vehicles that services the Somersworth area with Wag'N Pet Oxygen Mask kits. The kits come with three different mask sizes which the manufacturer says can be used on dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, and more."

The news just made my Monday, maybe even my whole year because I know firsthand how important this can be,

Sadly, I know a family who suffered a devastating fire years ago, and though all the human family members escaped virtually unharmed, the animal family member, their pet cat , did not.

And though it's been many years since the tragedy, and the family lost just about all their possessions, including family photo albums documenting the history of that unit, the loss of their pet is what lingers.

There are many reasons why this number is so high. Often the pets can't escape if they are home alone, and the sound of a smoke detector scares many animals into hiding, making them hard to find during a fire.

But for those that are found and brought out, there are now specialized oxygen masks to help in the early moments of a rescue. Firefighters and paramedics too often have to rely on adult oxygen masks which easily slip off a animals face.