4-H PAWS: Pets Are Worth Saving

Tessa A. (left) and Lindsey A. of Howard Center Stars 4-H Club spoke with the Lime Springs Fire Department about the importance of knowing how to use the pet oxygen masks given to the department by Deb Morris of Cresco. "Our pets are important to us," said Lindsey. "If you have the opportunity, we hope you would save our pets."

The girls are speaking to all the departments in the county, who also received masks, along with LeRoy and Harmony fire departments.

"Our goal is to let all fire departments know that our pets are important to us," explained Lindsey. Tessa added, "We want to try to make it statewide that fire departments have masks and oxygen tanks for pets."

After speaking with the local departments, the girls, with the help of Morris and Vanette Grover, the 4-H Youth Development Specialist for Howard and Mitchell Counties, will take the effort statewide by e-mailing their project to other 4-H clubs.
                                    

9/5/2008 Lime Springs Herald

After reading about how the Melver family of Bonair lost three pets in a house fire, Deb Morris remembered losing her own cat when she was a young girl. She couldn't shake the sadness she felt for her younger self and the children in the Melver family.

"I have two cats and two dogs and I would be devastated if I lost them to a fire," she said.

Then she read about a fund-raiser in Osage for pet air masks and decided she could do the same in Howard County. She talked with print and radio media to explain her goal and set a booth up outside Fareway one Saturday.

"Besides talking to the media, I didn't ask anyone for a donation and I ended up getting over $700 in donations." Some of the more memorable donations were from someone in Minnesota and three third grade girls.

Morris has given out "Gratitude Rocks" to those who have donated. She has collected multicolored rocks of all sizes on her walks with her dogs and hopes they will also bring meaning to others.

The money she ended up raising enabled her to purchase 13 sets of masks. "Each fire department in Howard County is now equipped with two masks. The last one I may keep as a demonstration model for a while."

The masks designed for pets are cone-shaped and come in three sizes to accommodate large and small animals. Human masks do not fit most animals.

It worked out great that Morris was able to supply each fire department with two masks. "Most people who have a large dog, also have another large dog . . . and those with a small dog, many times, have another small dog. By having two masks, both pets will have a better chance of survival," she explained.

Morris personally purchased a mask to donate to her hometown of Algona and found the fire department was already working on rigging up something for pets.

She says, "Vanette Grover, the 4-H Youth Development Specialist for Howard and Mitchell Counties is going to help me with a statewide project. After the flood problems and fairs are over, we will be working on getting the 4-H clubs in Iowa information on the masks. Of course, the goal is to get the fire departments in Iowa equipped." Morris believes Delaware is the only state that has masks in every fire department and she is trying for that goal for Iowa.

Morris doesn't expect fire fighters to risk their lives on saving a pet, but if they happen to find one, with the air masks, they may be able to save a family pet. 
  

Local fire departments receive air masks for pets donated by Deb Morris. Front: Chuck Reicks-Cresco, Jeff Biwer-Elma, Lyle Eastman-Riceville, Morris-Cresco and Brad Moudry-Protivin. Back: Tony Roberts-Lime Springs, Darrell Knecht-Elma and Jeff Wendel-Chester. Morris also gave web addresses that show how to use the masks and how to rescue pets from a fire.

7/4/2008 Lime Springs Herald