Willowbrook veterinarian Dr. Renée Ferguson is excited by the response for her fundraiser to supply Pet Oxygen Mask Kits to Township of Langley fire trucks.

Not only has her office, Mountain View Veterinarian Hospital, raised enough to supply all of the Township trucks, but City of Langley trucks will also be supplied along with the move to get kits on Surrey trucks as well.

The fundraiser has also had positive ripple effects. Ferguson was contacted by City of Vancouver firefighters for contact and supply information for the kits.

“We’re raising awareness,” Ferguson said noting the Vancouver firefighters will purchase their own kits, encouraging Ferguson to keep up with her efforts to supply the firefighters that may not have the budget to purchase pet equipment.

The oxygen mask kits come with small, medium, and large sized cones to fit pets and animals of any size and are compatible with the existing oxygen supply systems on firefighter trucks.

“You could put a small bird in a large cone,” Ferguson said of the flexibility of the kits.

With Surrey next in line for the masks from Ferguson’s fundraising efforts, her clinic will continue to offer the pet nail trimming by donation program. Altogether about $1,600 has been raised to date, so more is needed to ensure any pet in Langley or Surrey has access to suitable care in case of fire.

“It has been super well received,” Ferguson said of the program. “I’m so excited by how the firefighters have embraced it.”

Langley Advance