The odds of your pet surviving a house fire in San Diego just got a lot better.
The San Diego Fire Department now has a new lifesaving tool designed specifically for animal. The equipment used in the past was too big for pets because it was designed to resuscitate humans.
"These were designed for an animal," said Fire Capt. Mike Merriken, who demonstrated the new pet oxygen mask on his dog, Hollie.
The masks were donated to the department by a national chain of boarding kennels.
"Until we were approached by the organization, we didn't know equipment like this existed," Merriken said. "So we made do with what we had, and we had limited success. Now that we have this stuff, we anticipate being much more successful."
Fire statistics show that 10 times as many pets as humans die from house fires. The problem is that pets hide rather than try to escape -- but it's flames are not the most deadly aspect of a fire.
"The vast majority of people and animals that perish in fires -- it's a lack of oxygen, the noxious odors and chemicals that kill, as opposed to burning up or something like that," Merriken said.
There are three sizes of oxygen masks that will fit animals are big as large dogs and as small as hamsters. Merriken said rescuing animals is something the public expects them to do.
"You are attached to a pet just like a family member," Merriken said. "You'll do whatever you can to make sure your pet is safe as much as a family member."
Only half of the city's fire stations have the new equipment, but a fund-raising drive is under way to buy animal masks for every station in San Diego.
Copyright 2006 by NBCSandiego.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
