Animal Oxygen Masks
Photo by Mallory Clarkson/London Community News Mike Lawrence (left) and Joe Lapthorne, who are both firefighters with the London Fire Department, display some of the oxygen masks used on animals.
When disaster strikes and firefighters have to perform a rescue at a blazing homestead, in some cases, people quickly have oxygen masks placed over their noses and mouths to fight off effects from smoke inhalation. But, what’s done for the four-legged family members whose snouts don’t fit into an oxygen mask made for a human?
Deputy Chief Brian George with the London Fire Department said most homes do have pets and there are special oxygen therapy kits on almost every fire truck.
“It’s a regular oxygen mask that’s very similar to one you would use on a human, except it’s got a long, extended cover, so you can put it over a long nose,” he said. “That’s what they’re needed for.”
The plastic masks were developed by veterinarians and seal around an animal’s muzzle. They come in three sizes: One is mainly for dogs with larger snouts, another for dogs with very short snouts and a smaller one that can be used for cats.
George, a self-proclaimed multiple dog owner, explained people are always concerned about their pets, especially when Fido or Fluffy’s lives are in jeopardy.
“Pets are a part of our society that are under our control; we close the door behind them to keep them contained in our homes and they’re not able to open those doors, they’re not able to extract themselves from the building,” he said, adding the department doesn’t track usages of the special masks. “When a pet becomes overcome in a fire, there’s a lot of emotion involved.”
The department began using the masks in 2007 after a local woman held a fundraiser — which became the annual Pooch Plunge event — and raised nearly $10,000 to purchase a dozen or so kits.
Heather Pinsky read an article about the special masks in a magazine on modern dog culture called The Bark and proceeded to get the ball rolling.
“I know two firefighters that did save two separate dogs by doing mouth to mouth,” Heather Pinsky said. “They tried to use the human oxygen masks and it just didn’t work.
“I thought this is very difficult for them to actually do it and the success would be so much greater if they actually had the masks that were designed to do this.”
She explained the masks are important because pets are more than just animals to their owners.
“Every dog and cat is part of the family,” she said. “I know they’re (firefighters) not supposed to have to save them, but they want to — firemen are good people.”
In addition to the oxygen masks, the money raised also went towards containers for the kits, as well as badges for easy identification.
Pinsky added at the time, other fire departments from across Ontario were calling her for information on the masks.
“I would direct them or I imported a couple when it first came, but three years later I was still getting emails,” she said. “Everyone in Ontario wants every fire truck to be equipped with this equipment because their pets mean a lot to them.”
If a fire does take place at a residence, the fire department teaches occupants to evacuate the building, stay outside and call 911. Rather than re-entering the house, let firefighters know if someone or a pet is inside and the trained professionals will rescue them.
