Firefighters demonstrate a pet oxygen mask.

Pets involved in fires in eastern Iowa’s Scott County can now breathe a little easier. Thousands of pets die each year in fires, mainly due to smoke inhalation, so Scott County Animal Hospital and Invisible Fence of the Quad Cities are donating oxygen recovery masks for pets to Medic EMS, a county-wide ambulance service.

They’re also conducting training sessions with Medic staff. Veterinarian Jennifer Ewoldt of the animal hospital says oxygen is the main treatment for smoke inhalation. She says the quicker it can be administered, the more likely an animal will survive. She says the donated masks are shaped to fit on an animal’s snout in order to give a proper flow of oxygen.

By Phil Roberts, Davenport