Cat rescued from house by London Fire Brigade is first to use specialist pet oxygen mask

A cat rescued from a house fire in London has become the first pet in the capital to benefit from a donation of specially adapted oxygen masks. Not-for-profit organisation Smokey Paws donated equipment designed for pets to the London Fire Brigade.

The kits are made up of three sizes of domestic pet oxygen therapy masks, two rope leads and two sizes of muzzle. Previously when firefighters have rescued animals suffering smoke inhalation, they have had to improvise to try and revive them but now they have the specialist kit that can be used on dogs and cats as well as smaller animals like rabbits, snakes and mice. The oxygen masks were used for the first time by London firefighters at a fire on Friday afternoon.

Crews tackled a house fire in Paddington where firefighters rescued two cats from the ground floor, and one was given oxygen using one of the new masks.

'Saved the cat's life'

Station Officer Nathan Beeby, who was at the scene, said: “Having something specially designed made so much difference as the mask is properly sealed around the animal’s muzzle and all the oxygen is going into their lungs. “The crews all thought it was a great piece of equipment that was easy to use with the training they had all had, quick to get to work with and ultimately saved the cat's life. “Having the specialist equipment there also put the occupier at ease and they were really happy with the outcome.”

Initially masks will be carried on fire engines in Battersea, Paddington, Richmond and Hammersmith as part of a pilot scheme. If the trial is a success, the kits will be rolled out to stations across the city. Since 2019, London’s firefighters have attended more than 100 fires involving dogs, cats and other pets such as rabbits and hamsters.

The Brigade’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Operational Policy, Dave O’Neill, said: “Of course a firefighter’s priority is always to save any human life, but we know how precious people’s pets are to them and we also know owners will put their own lives at risk by trying to return to a burning building to rescue them. “We know there’s been an increase in people getting pets during the pandemic and we are likely to see more animals involved in incidents, so we needed to improve our ability to respond appropriately.“

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