Firefighters can better aid pets

Mike Swanson

The Laguna Beach Fire Dept. will be the first in Orange County to be

equipped with oxygen masks for pets by the end of the month, thanks

to a $1,200 donation by a Realtor in town.

Cathy Bendall of Dana Point bought one set of four pet oxygen

masks for each of Laguna’s six fire engines and donated them to the

Laguna Beach Firefighters Assn. Once firefighters are trained to use

them, which Battalion Chief Jeff LaTendresse said should take about

two weeks, Laguna’s pets suffering from smoke inhalation will be in

better hands.

“People have been calling and kind of making fun of the whole

thing, but I think it’s a cool idea,” said Jeff Wood, president of

the association and an engineer-paramedic with the department. “Once

we save someone’s pet with one of these, people are going to be

stoked.”

The fire department responds to about 100 fire calls per year,

only a couple dozen of which are structure fires, LaTendresse said,

so he doesn’t expect the masks to be used frequently.

“They were 100% donated, so the price was sure right,” Wood said.

“We don’t expect to use them much, but if we save one animal it’s

worth it. We’re happy to have as much life-saving equipment as

possible.”

LaTendresse suspects that Bendall brought the idea to Laguna first

because the community’s small enough that she could help equip every

engine. He added that Bendall and others are making an effort to

bring the masks to other fire departments in the area in the coming

months. She got the idea from reading newspaper articles that

featured fire departments in Northern California that were using the

masks, LaTendresse said.

Wood said he hasn’t seen Bendall since she delivered the masks.

“She went through all the effort, gave us the masks and

disappeared,” Wood said.

The four masks range from sizes to fit kittens up to large dogs

like Great Danes, Wood said.

Stephanie Marshall, owner of the Dog Ranch Bed and Biscuit on Sun

Valley Drive in town, said it made perfect sense for the fire

department to carry the veterinary equipment on its engines.

“Cats and dogs definitely need extra oxygen in the case of a fire,

and I think it’s wonderful that someone took the steps to do this,”

Marshall said. “We’re such an animal community here.”