LYNN — More than 70 animal oxygen masks were donated to the Lynn Fire Department through a fundraiser by All Creatures Veterinary Hospital in Salem, ensuring pets are cared for in the event of a severe fire.

Residential fires are traumatic, and when animals are involved, they can be even more daunting. Half a million animals are affected by house fires every year, and 40,000 die mostly due to smoke inhalation, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

​To combat smoke inhalation locally, the 25 Wag’N O2 Fur Life packs include three sizes of oxygen masks and a pamphlet for first responders on how much oxygen to provide depending on the species and their size, which can give pet owners in Lynn a sense of security.

“I would say that most of the houses we go to have some type of animal,” Fire Chief Daniel Sullivan said.

Sullivan added that most of the time they can get out, but in the case of coming across one inside, the masks can be that last effort to save their lives.

​The oxygen masks are designed to fully cover the snout and secure with the rubber gasket to ensure maximum amounts of purified oxygen can get to the animal’s lungs, Sullivan said.

The three sizes — small, medium, and large — cover the bases so that any animal involved can have the proper care, All Creatures Veterinary Hospital Co-owner Dr. Sarah Dixon said.

​“Even the smallest mask, you can get that around a small bird,” Dixon added, as opposed to using an oxygen mask for a human and losing a majority of the oxygen to the environment.

The Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association and its financial arm, the MVMA Charities, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, aided in the start of the donation process.

Through its Pet Oxygen Mask Program, which started back in 2014 and was revitalized in 2022, the organization realized how much of a need Massachusetts had for updating old, reusable animal relief devices, MVMA Executive Director Jamie Falzone said.

“We send them out and hope that they never have to be used, but they do,” Falzone said.

When she surveyed how lacking the communities were in animals first-aid care, Falzone began reaching out to veterinary clinics like All Creatures to create a partnership between local veterinary hospitals and fire stations.

Now, the Lynn Fire Department can fully equip all of its responding vehicles with one pack as well as backups for when they wear down, Lynn Fire EMS Captain David Hathaway said.

There will be at least 10 of the packs out on every call, Hathaway added, including six engines, three ladders, and one safety officer.

“They’ll be going out on every truck in the city,” Hathaway said.

​With the much-needed equipment, the fire department now has the means to care for the furry family members.

“Any way that we can help firefighters help pets in homes, we will because pets are family members,” All Creatures Co-Owner Dr. Rosalie Hezekiah said. “These engines are equipped to help people, but the pets in those homes are incredibly important, and they didn’t necessarily have the tools to help them.”

The fundraiser was expected to yield a hopeful 10 packs, but Salem hospital’s clients stepped up to donate funds for 60, Hezekiah said.

“Our clients and even non-clients heard about this through word of mouth and… they knew that their pet might be affected by a fire and wanted to make sure that their pets and other pets were safe,” Hezekiah added. “Our clients came out of the woodwork, honestly, and supported this in a way that we never expected.”

Knowing how to inform first responders of your animals’ needs can be imperative. A majority of the time, owners disclose whether they have an animal in the 911 call or when the fire rescue team arrives, Sullivan said.

If the owners are not home, there’s not much one can do. However, All Creatures has taken an initiative to design stickers that go on a front-facing window of the home that inscribe the type of animal, their name, and the contact information for the homeowner and hospital, Office Manager Stacey Correia, the designer, said.

“It would be important to know if there’s a rabbit who’s in a cage or an animal who could come to them if they called them,” Correia added.

​When the hospital receives new clients, they always receive a sticker, but these stickers are also available in a pack of six for $6 on Amazon.

Ensuring that the whole North Shore will be covered with animal oxygen masks, All Creatures has reached out to Lynn’s neighboring communities, including Salem, Peabody, Beverly, Swampscott, and Nahant, and even set up a donation in the coming weeks to Marblehead.

“I live in Lynn,” Correia said. “So, it’s nice to know that my pets would be protected.”