From dogs to gerbils to even birds, Port Moody Fire Rescue will now have a new tool at their disposal to save the lives of pets that have been exposed to smoke.
Two pet oxygen mask kits were donated to the Port Moody Fire Rescue by concerned dog owner, business owner and resident Brian Borsoff.
Each kit contains three specially-designed animal masks, in different sizes, which can be used by firefighters to treat pets suffering from smoke inhalation.
Deputy Fire Chief Jason Harper says pets tend to look for a hiding place instead of trying to escape the fire, which leads to a high number of smoke inhalation deaths.
“They get under beds and mattresses. Often, our guys get bit trying to get the animals out,” said Harper. “But when we finally do get hold of them, we try to give them oxygen as quickly as possible.”
Port Moody Fire Rescue currently has a one-size-fits-all oxygen mask for dogs.
“Sometimes it’s effective, sometimes it’s not” said Harper. “These new masks help deliver a more saturated rate of oxygen, which makes for a quicker recovery when exposed to chemicals or smoke.”
Borsoff’s dog Remley demoed the use of the new mask in Port Moody this morning.
“My wife and I watched the news about a year ago and saw a couple of pets die in a fire because of smoke inhalation,” said Borsoff. “So that’s when we started the process of donating these kits.”
Firefighters will receive special training on how to use the pet oxygen masks next month, and when training is complete, the masks will be ready for use as needed.
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