Fire departments get donated oxygen masks for animals

With a passion for animals in their hearts, Girl Scouts Camryn Coates and Reba Richmond set out to do something to help pets when thinking of a project for their Silver Award.

While they originally thought they could help the animal shelter, their troop leaders encouraged them to think outside the box.

They researched online and found the idea to get oxygen masks for pets for the county fire departments.

“We thought of the animals in fires that can’t get out,” said Camryn. “The masks will give them oxygen when they have trouble.”

Anita Anderson and  Carol Whetzel, who work for the Invisible Fence Company of Southern Indiana and Greater Louisville, were contacted by the girls and asked to make a donation to Washington County.

Whetzel, who graduated from Salem, was excited to make the donation in her hometown community.

The firemen said they are happy to have the donation and said the masks will definitely come in handy. 

“We could have used these several times,” said Max Gamble. 

Right now, they use human masks and have to find a way to keep it on the animal.

“Smoke inhalation is what gets the animals,” said Anderson.

Whetzel added that pets tend to hide when they are scared.

The mask donations are part of the Project Breathe program through Invisible Fence.

Wednesday afternoon, they made a donation of six kits for Washington County to be spread throughout the county.

Troop Leaders Anna Arnholt and Robin Coates are proud of the girls and their decision to help animals.

“The pets are important to the people who live there,” said Arnholt. “We want to save the people, but we also want to save their pets.”

A Silver Award is the highest level a cadet can earn. Camryn has been in Girl Scouts for nine years and Reba for six years. Both girls are freshmen at Eastern High School.