Copiague Firefighters Now Have Special Oxygen Masks for Pets

Copiague NY-- Pet parents here can breathe a little easier now that local first responders have a special tool to help save family pets in home fires and other emergencies. The Copiague Fire Department recently received a donation of three sets – one for each of the three fire companies -- of life-saving pet oxygen masks from at-home pet services provider Canine Company.

The kits were requested by Firefighter and EMS Director Brian Cloughen after the department dealt with several animal rescue situations and were forced to use adolescent oxygen masks, which don’t fit properly over animal snouts.

In one case, he said, “we had a Blue Nose Pit bull and a cat rescued from a carbon monoxide call. The adolescent mask barely fit the dog (too small) and we had to stuff rags around the mask for the cat to ensure he was receiving enough air because the mask was too big.”

Thankfully, both pets survived, but it was clear that the department needed a better solution to deliver oxygen to family pets. So when he learned about Canine Company’s campaign to outfit first responders with oxygen masks designed for pets, he contacted the company.

The donated masks are designed for the shape of an animal’s snout. Each set includes masks in three sizes to fit a wide range of pets – from small mammals like rabbits to giant breed dogs. According to Canine Company, donated masks were used by first responders to save more than 18 pets – including six dogs, 11 cats and a rabbit – last year.

“At Canine Company, our mission is to help families keep their pets healthy, safe and happy at home,” says Renee Coughlin of Canine Company. “We do that with the products and services we offer, and through our pet masks donation campaign. Over the past 10 years, we’ve provided masks to more than 500 fire departments and rescue squads in the communities where we do business. And we look forward to continuing to make these donations in the coming year.”

To ensure rescuers know there are pets in a home, Canine Company provided free “Pets Inside” decals to the fire department for distribution to local pet parents. The stickers are available from the fire department, or can be requested by mail through the Request a Decal form on the company’s website at www.caninecompany.com.

Canine Company helps families across New York, New England, and New Jersey keep their pets healthy, safe and happy at home with services like Invisible Fence pet containment systems and Manners dog obedience training. For more information, visit www.caninecompany.com.

The Copiague Fire Department, founded in 1928, is an all-volunteer department dedicated to serving the hamlet of Copiague and surrounding communities by providing fire rescue and prevention programs, emergency medical services, community awareness and outreach, and more. For information, visit http://www.copiaguefd.com.