SANDWICH — From Valley Free Press this article
The more Chuck Cravatta talked to firefighters, the more he heard stories about pets found in burning homes.Some survived, some didn’t. Cravatta, owner of Genoa-based Invisible Fence, said he wanted to find a way to improve the chances that pets could be helped during fires. His parent company has kits that include oxygen masks made for pets, which can be donated to local fire departments. Cravatta sent out letters to fire departments in DeKalb County offering to donate the masks, and has a goal of getting the kits in every fire department in the county. And about a month ago, DeKalb and Sandwich fire departments took him up on his offer. The departments each received two kits with three masks per kit. The kits cost $60 each, Cravatta said.“I still haven’t heard about a save using them, but I hope it helps,” Cravatta said recently during a phone interview.
The masks are cone-shaped and can fit dogs and cats, Cravatta said. The plastic cone widens out with soft rubber padding on the end to go around an animal’s face. The masks can then be connected to the same oxygen tanks used for people. They were designed for vets to use for anesthesia during operations.” Sandwich Fire Chief Bill King remembered times when people escaped from a burning home or building and then went back in to save a beloved pet. In some cases, people have died trying to help an animal, Once you’re out, stay out,” King said. “If the situation would allow us to get a pet out, we will do so. But we don’t want people to go back into burning houses for anything.” If firefighters are able to save an animal without risking their lives or the lives of other people, they will do so, but people are encouraged to think of their own safety before their pets’, King said.“Nobody loves a dog more than me, but human life is of utmost importance,” Russell said. “Many times they are smarter than we give them credit. They’ll seek shelter or find a way out.”
About a year ago, a Michigan-based branch of Invisible Fence was one of the first to distribute the pet masks to fire departments throughout Grand Traverse County.About 10 days later, firefighters in a rural area of the county used the masks to save a dog and cat who suffered smoke inhalation from a structure fire, Grand Traverse County Rural Fire Department Battalion Four Safety Officer Rebecca Pruyne said.“They were very listless,” Pruyne said. “But once we administered a high flow of oxygen, their eyes perked up and they got more rambunctious.”
The masks are cone-shaped and can fit dogs and cats, Cravatta said. The plastic cone widens out with soft rubber padding on the end to go around an animal’s face. The masks can then be connected to the same oxygen tanks used for people. They were designed for vets to use for anesthesia during operations.” Sandwich Fire Chief Bill King remembered times when people escaped from a burning home or building and then went back in to save a beloved pet. In some cases, people have died trying to help an animal, Once you’re out, stay out,” King said. “If the situation would allow us to get a pet out, we will do so. But we don’t want people to go back into burning houses for anything.” If firefighters are able to save an animal without risking their lives or the lives of other people, they will do so, but people are encouraged to think of their own safety before their pets’, King said.“Nobody loves a dog more than me, but human life is of utmost importance,” Russell said. “Many times they are smarter than we give them credit. They’ll seek shelter or find a way out.”
About a year ago, a Michigan-based branch of Invisible Fence was one of the first to distribute the pet masks to fire departments throughout Grand Traverse County.About 10 days later, firefighters in a rural area of the county used the masks to save a dog and cat who suffered smoke inhalation from a structure fire, Grand Traverse County Rural Fire Department Battalion Four Safety Officer Rebecca Pruyne said.“They were very listless,” Pruyne said. “But once we administered a high flow of oxygen, their eyes perked up and they got more rambunctious.”
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