Animal Shelter Donates New Life Saver For Pets

When a home catches fire, people and precious belongings come first, and it’s often easy to overlook other members of the family. Here in the desert, there’ve been several cases of pets dying in fires.

Save-A-Pet Animal Shelter in Desert Hot Springs partnered with Cathedral City firefighters to help those who can’t help themselves.

“Human masks don’t fit over dogs. These are specifically designed for animals – large breed dogs and small breed dogs, and also masks for cats,” Rick Miller of the Save-A-Pet shelter said.

The Cat Fanciers Association donated the masks to Save-A-Pet because of its location in the high fire-risk desert.

“They’re masks for oxygen, (for) animals that have been subject to smoke inhalation or other toxic fumes,” Miller said.

The National Volunteer Fire Council said home fires affect about 500,000 pets in the U.S. Forty thousand of those pets die.

“A lot of people don’t think about the animals when there’s people involved in a fire or some other traumatic event. Animals need help, too,” Miller said.

Help now made easier. Save-A-Pet will give five resuscitation mask sets to the Cathedral City Fire Department.

“Most departments aren’t equipped with the equipment to help a dog or a cat that needs oxygen,” Miller said. “Pure oxygen would be going in to help revive him, to help resuscitate him.”

Save-A-Pet is a no-kill shelter. All animals stay here until they have homes. To give a home to one of these animals, you can visit the shelter seven days a week on 18th Avenue in Desert Hot Springs.