$1,000 Donation for Animal-Sized Oxygen Masks Rushed to Austin Firefighters

PETA Kick-Starts Fundraising Drive With Gift

For Immediate Release:
August 3, 2015

Contact:
Catie Cryar 202-483-7382

Courtesy of PETA, a $1,000 check is on its way to the Austin Fire Department (AFD) following its call for help in replacing its animal-sized oxygen masks—lifesaving devices that have helped Austin firefighters resuscitate everyone from a dog to a lobster. Since it will cost $5,000 to outfit each of AFD’s units, PETA is also calling on the community to help chip in the remaining funds.

“The Austin Fire Department should have every tool at its disposal in coming to the aid of animals in need,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “For animals pulled from a blaze, a mask can be the difference between life and a painful death.”

PETA, whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way,” encourages all animal guardians to put a sign on doors or windows to alert rescue workers to the presence of companion animals. Families can order stickers from the PETA Catalog or make their own.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.