Smoke Mask for Pets Donated to Georgia Fire Department

House fires are dangerous enough for people, but they too frequently prove fatal for our four-legged friends. Over 40,000 pets die of smoke asphyxiation each year.

Good news, then, that neighborhood fire departments, like Martinez-Columbia Fire Rescue in Augusta, Ga., are acquiring smoke inhalation masks for pet use in emergency rescues.

"The majority of dogs and other animals that die in house fires are due to smoke inhalation and this will be able to take care of that problem -- might be able to save a lot more animals by having these devices available to us," Captain Robert Rosier with Martinez-Columbia Fire Rescue told NBC Augusta.

The smoke mask that the Martinez-Columbia fire rescuers received was provided by an anonymous donor through Bark 10-4, an online store dedicated to helping fire departments nationwide obtain pet oxygen masks.

If you're interested in donating pet rescue masks to your local fire department, visit Bark10-4.com. There, you'll be able to buy a pet oxygen mask for $25, or a set of three for $65, shipped free of charge directly to your local fire rescue.

Tags: fire rescue, firefighters, FireRescue, pet oxygen masks, PetOxygenMasks