Being in this industry and working so closely with pet owners we know that pets are not just pets but members of the family. Also having pets in our homes while we are away at shows and work their safety is a huge concern. We had seen a story on the national news about a house fire and the dog being saved by pet oxygen masks the fire trucks had. Wondering if the stations here in our county had these we did some checking and found out there were only 4 kits for the entire county and we have 13 stations including a rescue squad and ems. There was a huge need for these and they are never in the budget with state funds. The emergency personnel were not prepared to resuscitate pets in a house fire.  We decided to do a fun fundraiser with pet lovers in mind to raise the necessary to funds to by the remaining 9 stations each a oxygen mask kit. We had a artist to guide 14 participants in creating their one of a kind masterpiece paintings of their pets. We had dogs and one cat painted and one of the dogs painted had passed away from cancer and it was like a memorial to her. We served snacks and gave goody bags to each person. It was a very fun night with other pet owners as passionate about their pets as we are. All the painters were so thrilled at their paintings and being able to help the pets in our county in the event of an emergency. We successfully raised enough money to get all 9 stations and kit and still had a little left over we donated to a local pet rescue. The cost of the kits are approx $70 each. After the event we order the kits and then got together with a fireman from each of the stations and presented them to them. We thanked them for their service not only to use but to our pets as well.
A little about the masks.Each kit comes in a convenient carry bag with 2 size masks Small, Medium and large and air lines that will connect to their air tanks. What makes the pet oxygen masks different than human masks is their shape They can be used on not only cats and dogs but snakes, hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, birds,goats, and any small household pet. It is estimated that 40,000 to 150,000 pets die in fires each year in the United States, most succumbing to smoke inhalation. The masks can be used to help conscious pets suffering from smoke inhalation, as well as pets that must be resuscitated after losing consciousness. They give firefighters the ability to stabilize a pet long enough to get it to a veterinarian for further treatment.