Fundraiser for the dogs
Pet business holds K9 Easter Egg Hunt to buy pet rescue and recovery oxygen masks for local fire trucks
In its first-ever public event, Pet Nanny's Place will host a K9 Easter Egg Hunt as a fundraiser to purchase pet rescue and recovery oxygen masks to outfit Juneau's five front-line fire engines.
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"I think if there's ever even one need, it's worth it," said Pet Nanny's owner Laura Else. "Many times, after human life is secured, they go in and rescue personal property, and if they bring out an animal, most people would rather see it alive and breathing."
At Saturday's fundraiser, dogs - with their owners on lead - can sniff out treats in more than 500 plastic Easter eggs hidden around Pet Nanny's. There also will be a Canine Bake Sale, featuring the pet popular Peanut Butter Pupcakes, homemade baked goods, and shaved ice and popcorn for the humans. The business is looking to raise about $500, as each kit costs about $100.
"If we succeed and make more, we would also outfit the front-line emergency vehicles and the reserve vehicles, which makes a total of 13 vehicles," "So, we'll see how far we can go."
According to Else, Fire Chief Eric Mohrmann said the stations would accept the canine rescue gear as long as it doesn't displace any human rescue gear.
"And that makes sense," Else said. "It's very common for animals to hide in a fire, so very often they are really susceptible to smoke inhalation."
Because they are shaped to fit over an entire head or a snout, the pet rescue masks can protect firefighters from injury if the animal tries to bite as well as provide a better seal over the animal's nose if they are administered oxygen, Else said.
"They have a better chance of recovering," she said.
Else also believes that with the pet oxygen masks on board, owners may fell less obligated to rescue their pet themselves.
"They may leave the rescue to the firefighters," she said. "So it can even help save human life if people stay back and let the professionals do the work.
"It's going to help the fire department to help animals," Canine Camp Activities Director Jim Friday added. "We wouldn't want them to keep them from taking care of people, but we want them to take care of the pets as much as they can also."
Friday and his wife, Barb, Pet Nanny's Canine Camp art director, have not actually used these masks, but they both have pet CPR training.
"There's a lot of pet-lover firefighters in our town," Else said. "I know Chief Mohrmann has personally given mouth-to-snout resuscitation on a kitty, and he said it wasn't successful, so it was sad. But he's a critter-lover. The firefighters try whatever they can, and hopefully these masks will help."
• Contact Neighbors editor Kim Andree at kim.andree@juneauempire.com.