Gift of life extends to animals in need
California woman is donating thousands of pet oxygen masks for use by firefighters
Debra Jo Chiapuzio adopted a puppy years ago that had been found during a California wildfire.
She learned animals such as dogs will often run into a smoke-filled house, rather than away from it, because they want to return to their comfort zone. When firefighters rescue pets, they rely on human oxygen masks that aren't very effective on animals.
Chiapuzio, who was working as a medical tattoo artist for burn victims, started looking on the internet and found that a company sold oxygen masks specially designed to fit pets' faces.
“I called my local fire department to see whether they had used them,” said Chiapuzio, 58, who lives in Anaheim, Calif.
When she was told no, she suddenly had a new mission.
In 2011, she started the Emma Zen Foundation, a non-profit named after her rescued great Dane/labrador.
After she'd raised enough money to ensure that all engines at her local fire department were outfitted with a pet oxygen mask kit, Chiapuzio began contacting other departments throughout California.
The cone-shaped masks cost about $75 and are designed to fit tightly around a dog or cat's snout. They have helped to revive several dozen pets trapped in house fires in recent years in Redlands, Calif., said firefighter Brent Fuller with the Redlands Fire Department.
“I've personally used them on dogs and cats at least 10 times,” Fuller said. “It's a rewarding feeling to revive an animal that has given unconditional love to a family.”
Nine years after she started the initiative, Chiapuzio estimates her foundation has raised enough money to donate more than 7,500 kits containing three sizes of masks to about 650 fire departments. Most of them are in Western states, she said.
“I was sitting in front of the TV watching news about the fires in California, Arizona, Oregon and Colorado, and I was relieved to see that every single fire department mentioned carried our equipment,” Chiapuzio said.
Fire captains said they are grateful for the donations.
Erika Skipper said the masks saved her puppy's life.
“The dishwasher had exploded and the entire house was filled with black smoke,” said Skipper, 41. “My kids could only think of one thing: our new shih tzu puppy, Penelope.”
Skipper frantically dialed 911 and firefighters found Penelope in her kennel, submerged in rapidly rising water from the emergency sprinkler system.
“She was barely breathing when she was brought out, but they revived her with one of their special pet masks, then transported her to the vet,” Skipper said.
“When we went to see her, the kids were thrilled,” she said. “They'd lost all their toys and everything in the house was smoke-damaged. But we had our dog back. It was like a miracle.”
Her family now donates every year to the Emma Zen Foundation, hoping to give other pet owners a happy outcome, Skipper said.
“I know how traumatic it would have been to lose our dog that day,” she said.
“Not every pet is as lucky.”