Firefighters New Tool
Apr 4th, 2007 by Beate
Firefighters are confronted every day by the possibility of dealing with injury and death. But most of us are unfamiliar with the heart-wrenching stories of rescue personnel who try vainly to resuscitate dogs and cats.
In many cases, the only occupants present when house fires break out are companion animals. And without equipment specific to dogs, cats and other pets, it is very difficult to revive them when they are overwhelmed by smoke inhalation (the leading cause of these pet deaths is asphyxiation). Every year, an estimated 40,000 companion animals die in house fires – that’s ten times the number of humans that perish. Thankfully, now there is an organization working to reduce this shocking number of unfortunate deaths.
The non-profit group H.E.L.P. Animals, Inc. is devoted to the distribution of cup-shaped oxygen masks to fire departments in order to save the lives of pets. The oxygen masks are versatile enough that they can be used on most companion animals, including cats, dogs, reptiles and birds. Thus far, they have distributed nearly 3,000 masks throughout North America.
If you’d like to contribute to this incredible cause, visit the H.E.L.P. Animals website at www.helpanimalsinc.org, and learn how you can outfit your local fire department for a minimal fee.