Woodmere FD has new tool to save pets' lives

Woodmere, NY, August 18, 2015 – Families with pets here can breathe a little easier knowing that local firefighters have a new life-saving tool for pets. Canine Company, which provides at-home products and services for pets, has donated two sets of pet oxygen masks to the Woodmere Fire Department.

“As firefighters, we see how important pets are to their families,” said Chief Richard Jankosky Jr. “We’re grateful to Canine Company for donating these masks to help us save animals’ lives.”

Michael Borgese, Nassau County representative of Canine Company, provided a demonstration of how the masks work for Deputy Chief Alan Sauer and some of his lieutenants, with the help of a Staffordshire terrier mix named Lilly, who belongs to one of the fire fighters.

“Pets don’t know to get out of the house when there’s a fire. Instead, they hide and often end up with smoke inhalation,” said Borgese. “Human oxygen masks don’t fit over an animal’s snout so rescue personnel have difficulty resuscitating them. These pet masks make it possible for rescue personnel to deliver life-saving oxygen to pets on the scene

Since 2008, Canine Company has donated more than 500 sets of masks to fire and rescue teams across the Northeast U.S. as part of the Invisible Fence® Brand’s Project Breathe™ initiative. Each set contains three reusable masks in sizes for small, medium and large pets. All connect to standard oxygen tanks that rescue teams carry. The company also donated decals that homeowners can affix to their front doors to alert firefighters to pets in the house.

“Canine Company provides providing products and services that keep pets healthy, safe and happy and we support community programs that do the same. We have a lot of client families here in Nassau County and we want to get these life-saving masks into the hands of every fire department that serves them,” added Borgese.

Departments that do not yet have the masks are encouraged to request them by going to www.caninecompany.com/project-breathe.

About Canine Company

Canine Company (www.caninecompany.com) provides pet care products and services that help people care for their pets at home, It is the exclusive authorized distributor of Invisible Fence brand pet boundary systems on Long Island and also provides Manners at-home obedience training. The Company supports programs that advance the human-pet bond through its philanthropic initiatives.

About Project Breathe

Project Breathe was launched in 2007 by Invisible Fence® Brand after the company learned that an estimated 150,000 pets die in fires each year, with most succumbing to smoke inhalation. The Project’s goal is to outfit every fire department and rescue unit with the life-saving pet oxygen masks. To date, more than 11,500 pet oxygen kits have been donated across the United States and Canada.