The Detroit Fire Department received a special donation last Thursday, March 8, that will help firefighters save more beloved pets from fires and other emergencies in the Detroit metro area.
Invisible Fence Brand/Project Breathe Detroit
More than 40,000 pets die in fires each year, and most of them are killed by smoke inhalation. Few fire departments are equipped to resuscitate these animals, even when they are successfully removed from burning buildings.
After a recent house fire, the Detroit Fire Department — which was able to rescue 15 of 17 dogs trapped in the building — commented that they had a limited supply of equipment, like oxygen masks, needed to rescue animals.
Invisible Fence Brand/Project Breathe Detroit
The Detroit Public Safety Foundation (DPSF) took note. The organization facilitated the donation of more than 278 pet oxygen mask kits with help from donors like Invisible Fence Brand, GFL Environmental, K9 Defenders Fund, Advanced Animal Emergency Hospital of Clinton Township, Dog Aid Community Awareness, and Pet Awareness. These kits contain over 800 pet oxygen masks in total and are vital to reviving dogs suffering from smoke inhalation. Now, the Detroit Fire Department is one of the only metro departments in their county to be fully equipped with the necessary gear to help save pets.
Kristina Rinaldi from Detroit Dog Rescue was present at the time of the donation, and gave a demo about how to properly use the masks with a volunteer Golden Retriever.
Invisible Fence Brand/Project Breathe Detroit
There are also some things you can do as a pet owner, beginning with your smoke alarms. It’s imperative that you regularly check the batteries to make sure they’re working. You can also contact your local fire department to see if they have life-saving pet kits, and encourage them to reach out to Project Breathe if they do not.