Breathin’ Easy

by Ayla Rad on 6 June 2010 in Special (world)

Air is a good thing. It’s very handy when you want to breathe.

My dog sister, Tutu, has asthma; sometimes she wheezes. For that reason, I take a personal interest in the growing trend of community groups and businesses donating pet oxygen masks to local fire departments. More and more fire trucks are carrying pet oxygen masks to resuscitate anipals overcome by smoke. Chicago, Tucson, Toronto, Jacksonville (MD), Ann Arbor (MI), and Fayetteville (AR) are just a few of the many cities and towns to receive pet oxygen mask donations this year.

  The Wag’N O2 Fur Life Program
  The Wag’N O2 Fur Life Program is the main source of pet oxygen 
  masks. They began the program two years ago and developed three 
  separate methods by which fire departments can acquire the masks and 
  one program for private pet parents.  The company’s literature says,
  “These pet oxygen masks can be used on dogs, cats, ferrets, birds,
  hamsters, alpacas, wolves and many more species.”  Non-profit animal
  welfare groups often purchase pet oxygen masks from the Wag’N O2 Fur
  Life Program and then donate them to local fire departments.  The
  company’s training video is available free of charge on YouTube:

http://youtu.be/1VtEPuHrGJ8 .

Invisible Fence Donation Program
By far, the largest single donor of pet oxygen masks to fire departments in the United States and Canada is Invisible Fence Brands. Company literature states that Invisible Fence Brands’ Project Breathe has donated 1600 kits, each including a small, medium and large pet oxygen mask, during the last three years.
I was able to go with my human to watch Rick Carthel, the owner of Invisible Fence of Arkansas, present six pet oxygen mask kits to the Springdale (AR) Fire Department. Carthel was joined by Linda Goshen
and Linda Gaddy from the Humane Society of the Ozarks. He explained that the small-sized mask could be used for puppies or kitties, while the large-sized mask was big enough for Great Danes!
Then Carthel’s assistant, Gabriel the Beagle, showed how to wear the
mask, while his person said that between 40,000 and 150,000 pets die
each year from smoke inhalation.  That scared me.
Gabe and I licked each other and talked about dog food and games. 
Then, he had to go with his person and the ladies from the Humane
Society to present pet oxygen masks to the Fayetteville Fire Department.
I wish my town, Rogers, had pet oxygen masks.

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