It might seem like there’s less and less that unites us in this crazy world, but some things are still truly universal. Namely: Firefighters are awesome and we all love stories where The Pets Are OK. Well, friends, this story has both of those things.
Fire crews in Phoenix, Ariz., were called to the scene of an apartment fire on Monday, arriving to find the second floor of a four-plex building belching smoke from the windows. The building occupants were not at home, but firefighters searched the building and rescued two doggos from two separate apartments.
On top of, you know, pulling people from burning buildings and putting their lives on the line to keep our cities from going up in flames, firefighters have a long and proud history of helping out our animal buddies. Sometimes it’s something as daring as repelling down a cliff face to help a stranded pup, and sometimes it’s as simple as the timeless cliche of rescuing a cat stuck in a tree.
Cat Climbs Down Ladder on Her Own
No firefighters were injured in this particular fire, and the blaze was brought under control and limited to the upper apartments. Perhaps most happily though, both puppers are expected to recover completely and have already been reunited with their owners. But here’s the best part of this story: After being removed from the building, firefighters were able to give both dogs oxygen, courtesy of a device known as a Fido Bag.
That’s right! Not only is there an apparatus designed specifically for giving our best friends oxygen in emergency situations, but it’s called a Fido Bag (“Dogxygen” would also have been acceptable).
The Fido Bag is the product of The Fetch Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to giving first responders the equipment and training they need to better help the pets we love so much. The Fido Bag comes with a specialized, reusable, cone-shaped mask, designed to fit over a dog’s muzzle and make it easier to administer oxygen to doggies in distress. In fact, thousands of fire departments across the country have oxygen masks designed for pets.
The heroes at the Phoenix FD posted a video to Twitter of firefighters using the Fido Bag at Monday’s conflagration and it looks to be just about the easiest thing ever, which is especially important for helping to soothe a stressed, confused pupper.Every story deserves a happy ending, even if it can sometimes take a while to get there. In this instance, nobody was hurt and, while the apartment residents will have to deal with the destruction of some personal property, having their best friends alive and well should help soften the blow.
