Fire Chief Bob Mignard demonstrates how a pet oxygen mask is applied on a golden retriever named Trillium. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)

Inspired by an animal safety organization created by an 11-year-old Virginian named Monica Plumb, Harvard resident and pet lover Mary Compton purchased a kit of animal oxygen masks to donate to the local fire department. The kit, containing three different-sized masks, allows firemen to safely resuscitate almost all animal species, ranging from a “small bird to a St. Bernard,” according to the organization’s website.

Compton stumbled upon Plumb’s PetMask.com program while reading a newsletter distributed by the United Animal Nations, a nonprofit animal advocacy organization. UAN awarded Plumb, then only in sixth grade, the 2008 Animals Choice Award for “advocat[ing] for animals beyond the scope of her profession or school responsibilities.”

Plumb founded the organization after hearing a news story in which a firefighter saved a pet using the specialized oxygen mask. She decided to raise money to purchase masks for the fire stations in her hometown of Powhatan, Va. However, what began as a small-town project blossomed into an international enterprise, with kits located in Canada as well as in this country. “It would make me so happy to know one of my oxygen masks helped save a pet’s life,” Plumb says on her website.

Compton, a fellow animal lover, agrees. “If it saves one dog of a family that has just been through something devastating, then it’s so worth it,” she says.

According to Fire Chief Bob Mignard, animals trapped in a smoke-filled house tend to evacuate as soon as firefighters open the door. “You open the door to get in and you get run over. Cats and dogs, they just know,” he explains. However, Mignard acknowledges that animals may need resuscitation, and supports the effort. “We don’t do it every day but it gets done if we have a shot,” he says. “Obviously we want to take care of people first, but if we can take a stab at taking care of the family pooch, we will.”

Although there is not an official animal rescue protocol, Mignard has performed rescue breathing on animals, including guinea pigs and a Bernese mountain dog. “You show up, and use your judgment,” he says.

With kit in hand, Compton approached the fire chief around late December to present the masks. “It’s a very nice thing,” Mignard comments. “Hopefully we never have to use it, but if we do then it gives the little beast just that much more of a chance to make it to another day. It’d be rare to use it, though.”

According to the website, the “cup-shaped” pet masks were originally developed for use by veterinarians, and seal around an animal’s muzzle tighter than a similar mask would fit on a human face. The specialization allows for a safer and easier resuscitation process for both the animal and the rescuer. “There are also instructions for the firefighters on how to use it,” Compton adds.

Aside from the initial benefits of the donation, Compton had additional goals for the project. “It was two things. One, I thought, ‘Well if it saves one animal than it’s well worth it.’ And two, I think kids really need to be encouraged to do this kind of thing. I was so impressed that at such a young age, this was what [Plumb] wanted to do. I think the more children feel empowered to follow a passion like that and get the support of their families and communities, they make much more productive and happy, healthy adults.”

Mignard agrees. “It’s very cool. She’s just a little thing.”

The mask kit will reside on Engine 3, “the first piece of apparatus out the door,” says Mignard. “We’ve got several dog lovers up here and I’m one of them… The masks will be seriously received.”

Aside from spreading the word about PetMask.com, Compton also hopes to donate one kit per year to various stations around the country, particularly ones with sentimental value to her. “To be able to still save your dog if you can’t save your home, then that’s hope,” Compton says. “And it gives people a reason to keep going and to pick themselves up after something like that happens. If I can facilitate that happening then that’s sort of why I’m here. Animals are definitely my passion.”