Pets to have better chance of survival after house fires thanks to donation | Pets

Pets in the Rochester area will have a better chance at survival after house fires thanks to a donation from Project Breathe.

Today, Project Breathe is donating 37 pet mask kits to Rural/Metro to put on every ambulance.

LaShay Harris of Rural/Metro said, “In the past Rural/Metro has responded to house fires and have recovered pets in need of fist aid and oxygen. We would use breathing masks designed for humans to provide oxygen therapy and now we will have masks designated for pets. Although our primary focus is the treatment and transport of humans; treating a family pet which have been recovered from a fire by using a pet mask is humane thing to do.”

The goal of Project Breathe is to equip every fire department in the U.S. and Canada with pet oxygen mask kits.

Tony Hettinger is the Director of Project Breathe in Rochester and Buffalo. “We are in the business of saving pets lives,” Hettinger said. “Equipping emergency services in the Rochester area with pet oxygen mask kits is another way for us to do that.”

To date, more than 9,500 mask kits have been donated, saving the lives of hundreds of animals.

It’s estimated that nearly 100,000 pets die each year in house fires -- most due to smoke inhalation.