The Bowie Volunteer Fire Department's is now more prepared to handle pet-related emergencies after this week’s donation from Bowie CLAW.
The local animal welfare group donated 27 sets of pet oxygen masks to the fire station on Tuesday. Each set contains three masks—sized small, medium and large—and are good for multiple uses, Bowie CLAW member Connie Carter said.
“The whole idea behind this is to make sure that every fire station in Bowie has a set of oxygen masks, so whoever does the call has a set to help the animals in case they are in need,” Carter said.
Each set of masks and their storage boxes cost about $100, Carter said. Money for the masks were generated at a Pasta for Pets spaghetti dinner fundraiser held at the Belair station last fall. The event netted about $5,000 and Carter said they will use all of those funds to supply pet oxygen masks to as many area fire stations as possible.
“We don’t want them to have to use those masks, but if they need them, they have them,” said Carter.
This is not the first time Bowie CLAW has donated pet oxygen masks to a Bowie area fire station. In April, the group donated about 20 masks to the Belair station.