Firefighters in more than 150 US cities and towns are now equipped with more than 850 sets of specially-designed pet resuscitation masks, thanks to a unique community campaign. 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," said 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."
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. Also, 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.