If Fido's found in a fire, there's now a better chance Bluffton firefighters can save him.
Thanks to several local canine-related businesses, all six of the Bluffton Township Fire District's first-responding trucks have a set of pet oxygen masks.
Unlike masks designed for humans, the re-usable plastic cups fit snugly over the snouts of pets large and small, including cats, and are hooked into standard air tanks.
"The Bluffton Township Fire District is in the business of protecting lives and property, and although animals are technically considered to be property, many of us think of them as much more than that," said Robbie Robertson, the department's public information coordinator
.
Chip Booth, owner of Poopie Trooper, got the idea from the Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists (yes, there is such a group), which is holding a national drive to raise money for the masks.
Booth approached local businesses Camp Green Dog, Red-Beau Canine Training and Three Black Dogs, and was able to raise the $360 needed for the masks. They were delivered this week.
Within a month, Booth hopes to have enough money raised to donate sets of masks to the Town of Hilton Head Island Fire and Rescue Division.
"I'm a pet owner myself and it kind of helps me sleep easier at night to know that if my animals are in a fire and they suffer smoke inhalation, the firefighters would be able to save them," said Booth, who has five dogs.
There's been a national trend of animal groups giving the masks to fire departments. It's often necessary to donate them because fire departments can't afford to budget for something that's not designed to save human lives.
"If they can spend 60 or 100 bucks to save a human life, they're going to do that before they budget to save a pet's life," said Booth.
The same prioritization happens in the field. Firefighters will sweep buildings looking for people before they rescue pets.
Bluffton firefighters have saved man's best friend in the past. They've found them hiding in house fires by using thermal imaging devices and, last month, untangled a puppy from wires beneath a burning trailer. Tony Pavilonis loaded the mutt into Engine 325 and rushed her to a nearby vet.
Her mangled paw was saved, and he adopted her. She was recently spotted roaming the hallways of the fire station.
A fire department in Prospect, Conn., received two donated sets in 2004, and two days later used one to resuscitate a Yorkshire terrier pulled from a fire.
"He was wobbly and he had very shallow breathing," said Fire Chief Robert Chatfield. "The owner held him and we got the mask on him, and in about 2 1/2 minutes, he was fine."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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