Danbury Volunteer Firefighters Receive Donation of Pet Oxygen Masks for All 12 Stations

The Danbury Volunteer Firemen’s Council has received a special donation from Wilton-based Canine Company that will help firefighters save the lives of Danbury family pets when they are victims of smoke inhalation in home fires. Canine Company donated 12 sets of the specially designed oxygen masks for pets – one for each fire company -- to the Council at its meeting on November 28.

When fire strikes at home, the family pets are often at greatest risk. An estimated 40,000 die each year from smoke inhalation because they hide rather than try to leave the house. Human oxygen masks are not effective for resuscitating pets because they don’t fit over an animal’s snout.

That’s why Captain Chris DiMauro of Phoenix Co. #8 requested the donation, after he learned about Canine Company’s campaign to provide the life-saving masks to first responders in communities where Canine Company clients live.

“Our mission is to help families keep their pets healthy, safe and happy at home. We do that with the products and services we offer and it’s the focus of our charitable programs, too,” Dawn Keegan of Canine Company told firefighters at the Council meeting.

She demonstrated how the masks work and presented each of the 12 Danbury fire companies with a set of the reusable masks. Each set includes three sizes that fit a wide range of pets – from small mammals to giant breed dogs. They connect to standard oxygen tanks the rescue teams carry.

In addition, to make sure first responders know there may be pets in jeopardy, Canine Company donated more than 500 “pets inside” decals to the firefighters to distribute to Danbury families with pets. When placed on a front door or window, the decal alerts firefighters that there are pets in the home.

Canine Company (www.caninecompany.com) provides at-home pet care products and services including the Invisible Fence® brand pet containment systems and Manners obedience training to pet parents across New Jersey, New York and the New England states as well as mobile grooming and pet sitting in select markets.