Pet oxygen masks donated to Dyersburg Fire Department

DYERSBURG, Tenn. — It is always a tragedy when a person loses their home and memories to a house fire. But it can be even more devastating to lose an irreplaceable — more furry — member of the family.

“We teach children to fall and crawl, get out of their house when they hear the smoke alarm going off. It’s hard to teach a pet to do that. A lot of times pets get scared, retreat. They may hide under beds,” said Capt. John Doyle with the Dyersburg Fire Department.

This results in the death of pets due to smoke asphyxiation. But thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor and the WAG’N O2 Fur Life program, the Dyersburg Fire Department recently became the 75th in Tennessee to have their own pet oxygen masks.

“A week before Christmas, a concerned citizen who had a heart for pets decided she wanted to do something for the fire department,” Doyle said. “And so she donated a pet oxygen resuscitation kit.”

These specially designed masks are equipped to fit over the snout of a cat or dog and can be used on conscious pets that have suffered from smoke inhalation as well as pets that need to be resuscitated after losing consciousness.

“We also carry bag-valve masks that we would use to resuscitate a normal human being, and we can also attach that to that mask and help breathe for the pet,” Doyle said.

Firefighters advise house fire victims to never run back into a burning building to save a pet. But now, Dyersburg residents can rest more assured in the rescue of their furry friends.

Pet oxygen mask training began Tuesday at the Dyersburg Fire Department and will continue throughout the remainder of the week.

Firefighters tell us the masks are currently loaded in the truck and ready for pet rescues.