When a fire breaks out in your home, firefighters have a bevy of tools for dealing with the blaze and ensuring you get out safe. And now they’re expanding their response protocols to include the rescue and recovery of pets in addition to humans. Fire units across the nation are investing in special pet rescue equipment that makes it easier for firefighters to provide lifesaving treatment to pets they rescue from residential blazes. One common investment? Pet-friendly oxygen masks. These masks attach to a regular oxygen treatment unit, but fit the snout of a cat or dog rather than a human. If the animal isn’t breathing, a re-breather can be used to inflate the animal’s lungs in further effort to save its life. Firefighters note that an increase in synthetic material in homes make toxic gases far more intense in modern blazes, thus emphasizing the requirement for oxygen treatment immediately after being removed from the fire. According to research, roughly 62 percent of Americans have a dog or cat in their homes. In other words, investing in lifesaving pet technology makes sense for fire departments, as they are very likely to encounter a pet at the majority of their emergency calls. Pet oxygen kits cost about $75 and can be donated to your local fire department if you’d like to contribute to their efforts to protect pets in your area.     About the Author: Craig Davis is VP of Vet Organics, a company which produces effective and safe natural remedies for dogs and cats.