Cats and dogs who suffer smoke inhalation in a fire will now be treated with oxygen masks specifically designed for their wee snouts.
The fire department is currently outfitting each of its vehicles with oxygen masks specifically designed for animals. The kits include three different size masks suitable for dogs and cats of all sizes.
“We just thought it was time. More and more, people seem to love their pets as much as they love their children. They become part of the family,” fire chief Tim Armstrong told the Record.
Before buying the animal-specific masks, firefighters would administer oxygen to rescued pets using human masks. While somewhat effective, the masks didn’t quite fit the four-legged companions.
“We have the normal masks that we’d use with the humans but they’re not necessarily formed to the snout, so we ad-libbed or made do. It wasn’t a real big investment to go the extra (mile),” Armstrong said.
