CLEARFIELD – Mountain Laurel Kennel Club members recently played Santa and delivered sets of reusable oxygen masks for animals to 15 area emergency medical services, kicking off the holiday cheer at the annual Clearfield County Ambulance Association Christmas dinner meeting.
Val Swales, who coordinated the $1,000 -plus fundraising campaign that paid for the masks, and MLKC President Sue Kordish demonstrated the masks, which come in three sizes, at the gathering and sent home two sets to Mahaffey and Irvona ambulance services.
Two days later, a road trip delivered ten more sets and, this past weekend, the final three arrived in Houtzdale, Madera and Coalport.
“I’m going to get a nylon bag for these and put them right in service on the unit,” said Coalport-based Glendale Quick Response Service Director Jack Laing, “I hope we never have to use them but it sure is nice knowing we have them.”
Added Kathy Schaffer, manager of DuSan Ambulance in DuBois, “I don’t know any emergency responder who hasn’t administered, or at least tried to, to a pet rescued from a fire. This is great having the proper equipment, rather than making do with human O2 masks that really don’t fit a dog or cat’s face.”
The kennel club earmarks proceeds from its annual pie sale in November for a community service project. Last year, the club partnered with the former CSB Bank to purchase a bulletproof vest for K9 Officer Zeus of the Curwensville Police Department.
More than $1,000 was raised for the masks through the pie sale at Goodman’s Foodliner in Curwensville and direct donations from supporters.
“We are thrilled to be able to provide this lifesaving equipment and even more excited by the enthusiastic response of the emergency medical providers. It’s great that so many people and organizations came together for the good of the animals,” Swales added.