Fire Fighters Saving Fido

When we think of fire fighters, we typically think of them with all their gear: the truck, the suit, the hose, etc. But there’s one piece of equipment that we don’t typically think about and probably weren’t even sure existed: pet oxygen masks.

Yes, it’s true that pet oxygen masks are actually real. And to better equip our first responders with these life-saving tools, pet insurance company Petplan hosted a social media giveaway that gifted a set of these masks to 5 fire stations across the country.

Credit: PetOxygenMasks.org

The contest was simple. Those who followed Petplan simply had to comment the name of their local fire station on a social media post, and winners were chosen at random. For every comment, the company also donated $1 to the Red Paw Emergency Relief Team, an organization that helps animals affected by fires.

The masks, specially designed for the snouts of dogs, cats, and other small animals, were given to fire fighters in Arizona, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. With this equipment, they will be able to better assist animals suffering from smoke inhalation.

“We at Petplan are dedicated to protecting our four-legged friends wherever possible, and we’d love to see every fire station across the country properly equipped to rescue pets,” said Natasha Ashton, co-founder and co-CEO of Petplan. “Our five winners are just a start, but [we] are delighted that we can help them do what they do best: save lives. We thank everyone who participated in this contest.”

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Sarah Cookson

Writer/Dog Enthusiast living in New York City. Only goes to parties in hopes there will be a dog there to hang out with. Her resolutions for 2017 were to eat healthier and pet more pups. Bet you can guess which one she stuck with.

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