Donation Gives Pets Breath Of Life

A big thank-you to South Chicago Veterinary Clinic … filling a need that I honestly never gave much thought to until now.

Late last week, Dr. Frederick “Rick” Ruhl, of the South Chicago Veterinary Clinic in Oak Creek, generously replenished our supply of animal oxygen masks.  Dr. Ruhl originally donated two sets of these masks to our department, as well as the Oak Creek Fire Department, several years ago to use on animals suffering from respiratory distress.  As a result of his donations, emergency responders are now better equipped and more aware than ever of the importance of providing supplemental oxygen to animals that suffer from respiratory distress, especially when exposed to the smoke and fumes from fires.  SMFD recently used a mask to assist a dog at the fire we responded to a few weeks back on Blakewood Avenue.  In addition, this equipment allows emergency responders to support families in crisis by taking care of what is important to them – their pets. The focus of the fire department in supporting families that have suffered loss due to fire revolves around the Four P’s – People, Pets, Pictures (personal belongings), and Pills (prescriptions).  The peace of mind this gives pet owners is tremendous as pets are often considered one of the family and their loss can be devastating, especially when compounded by the damage and destruction resulting from a fire.