Copyright 2006 The Houston Chronicle Publishing Company
All Rights Reserved 
 
By SALATHEIA BRYANT
The Houston Chronicle 

Houston Fire Department Capt. Matt White has heard his share of fire victims beg rescuers to save their babies, only to have that "baby" turn out to be a beloved pet, unconscious or groggy from inhaling smoke.

Despite using an ill-fitting oxygen mask made for people, White has managed to resuscitate some, including a disoriented Rottweiler that quickly became friendly with firefighters after receiving oxygen, a change in demeanor that surprised neighbors.

Now, White is hoping an oxygen mask designed for cats and dogs will improve the odds for pets.

"I see the problems. I've been there where animals didn't get resuscitated," said White, a training officer in the emergency medical services division. "Just to know you have this piece of equipment, I know it has to help. It's elongated. It's meant for a snout. It makes me feel like the animal is going to have a better chance."

Best Friends Pet Care Inc. donated 25 sets of pet masks to the Houston Fire Department last month. Each set includes three masks — one for cats, one for large dogs and one for small dogs.

Hoping to buy more

The masks were placed in district chief cars, but HFD officials hope to raise funds to buy enough masks to outfit every fire engine. Best Friends will match donations raised locally to buy more pet masks for the department.

"It keeps our supplies full and needed for adult life saving," said Capt. Beda Kent, who works in HFD's community outreach division. "It happens more times than you know. There's so many times someone is yelling `my baby, my baby' and it turns out to be a dog."

The growing number of municipal fire departments with pet oxygen masks illustrates the change in how people view pets, animal welfare activists say. Some pet owners buy health insurance for their animals or include them in their wills.

Perhaps nowhere was the idea of Fido and Fluffy as full-fledged family members more apparent than during the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, when some evacuees refused to board buses or enter shelters without their pets.

"Many years ago, pets lived outside, then they came in the house. Pets are now up on furniture and in the bed," said Thomas Carpenter, a veterinarian and president-elect of the American Animal Hospital Association. "(Owners) are willing to do whatever they can to keep them happy and healthy."

Since 2004, Best Friends, a chain of kennels, has given more than 2,000 pet oxygen masks to fire departments across the country.

40,000 pets died

Company spokeswoman Debra Bennetts said the initiative came about because of need. Last year, about 40,000 pets died in home fires.

On average in the United States, 10 pets die for every human killed in a home fire, she said, most from smoke inhalation.

In the first year of the program, Bennetts said 12 different fire departments used the masks. In one incident, eight out of nine cats were rescued from an apartment fire and resuscitated using the feline mask.

"It's another indication of the role that pets play in our lives. People really see their pets as family members," said Bennetts. "People are demanding more personal amenities for their pets. This is a life-and-death situation.

"The firefighters will tell you stories of their own rescue attempts," she added. "Firefighters see the anguish. They believe this is valuable."

Kent said HFD does not keep records on the number of times rescuers gave animals oxygen. Nor did they have a budget to buy the masks.

Prior to receiving the pet masks, emergency workers used human masks that did not fit snugly on animals. Some even tried mouth-to-snout resuscitation.

The Woodlands Fire Department has used pet masks a few times in the last year. Deputy Chief Wayne Walker said the idea initially got laughs, but his firefighters became believers after using them.

"It's just another aspect of emergency medicine," Walker said. "We do it for people every day. The mask works pretty well. ... They do the job."

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DONATE

Contact the Cause for Paws Rescue Masks program:

Call: Best Friends at 888-FOR-PETS

Visit on the Web: bestfriendspetcare.com