It is a situation no one wants to witness: Returning home to find it engulfed in flames and firefighters battling to save a structure filled with possessions, memories and — tragically — the family pets.
Smoke inhalation is one of the leading causes of pet death in house fires involving animals — estimated to claim 40,000 animals annually — and until just recently, Capt. Adam Shields of St. Tammany Fire District No. 5 in Folsom confirms that his district did not any life-saving veterinary equipment to help animals in his community.
But today, thanks to the Folsom Veterinary Clinic, Shields says the district has three new Animal Rescue Packs of pet oxygen masks and tubing designed for different sizes and species of animals injured in emergencies. Additional triage supplies manufactured specifically for veterinary use are included. The masks, in small, medium and large sizes, can be sanitized and used again.
Oxygen masks made for humans can lose 90% of the oxygen being delivered when used on an animal, which is why the new pet kits are now one of the critical resources on a fire truck.
One of the biggest difficulties for first responders, Shields says, is that people become trapped when they return inside a burning house to retrieve a pet. So people and their pets often all become victims of one house fire.
“We want everyone to know that with these resources, our citizens can rest assured we have everything necessary to help rescue all family members, including the four-legged ones,” he says.
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