An Ottawa woman is spearheading a campaign to equip the city's fire stations with oxygen masks for pets.
"If we can do anything to help them out in a fire I thought there was no reason why we shouldn't," said Andrea Cormack-Akeson.
Cormack-Akeson is currently raising money to purchase one pet mask for every fire station in the city. She hopes to prevent further pets from dying in home fires, such as the family dog that was trapped in a blaze in Arnprior Friday morning.
Currently, no fire crew in Ottawa has access to pet oxygen masks, which cost about $55 dollars. Fire services spokesman Marc Messier said they would be a welcome addition to the city's life-saving arsenal.
"We want to have these things on our trucks," he said. "It's another piece of equipment to help homeowners and their pets."
Donations for pet oxygen mask kits can be made at the Dirty Dog Gourmet Bakery display at the Carp Christmas Market (Dec. 3 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Dec. 4 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.), Critter Jungle, the Ottawa Veterinary Hospital and online at responsibledogowners.ca.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Carol Anne Meehan
