The Shannon Hills Fire Department has received a donation that will help firefighters save beloved family pets and other animals in emergency situations.
The Project Breathe program is a pet oxygen mask donation program created by Invisible Fence. The company, known for its line of electric dog fences, created the program to help equip fire departments with the emergency tools needed to resuscitate and save pets.
The SHFD received three sets of oxygen masks, one for each emergency vehicle, which will be used to save animals that are having respiratory problems due to smoke inhalation.
“Many years ago, we responded to a fire where there were animals in the house,” said SHFD Capt. Kevin Riedinger. “We had no way of administering oxygen to the animals.”
Although situations like the one the department faced do not happen frequently, Riedinger said that when the department began to discuss ways to improve.