Pet Oxygen Masks Donation Helps Battle Creek Firefighters Rescue More Animals

A generous grant gives the Battle Creek Fire Department the resources they need to rescue your pets when disaster strikes.

The donation from the Battle Creek Community Foundation highlights first responders’ dedication and the key tools which make these life-saving rescues possible in the first place.

According to the National Wildlife Foundation, 94 million U.S. households own a pet. Think about your own fur babies at home-- would you know what to do in the event of an emergency?

According to a press release from the City of Battle Creek, a response to an August 2025 house fire has sparked a new effort to keep household pets safer:

Battle Creek Fire Department crews found Zeke, a 10-year-old mixed-breed golden Labrador, limp and barely conscious on the second-floor landing of the home...Zeke’s life was saved using a pet oxygen mask that was donated more than a decade ago. Now, with those masks falling apart due to age and use, after witnessing several family pets injured or killed in housefires this year, Battalion Chief Bush McCarthy said the department reviewed options to once again outfit each apparatus with pet oxygen masks, resulting in a grant from the BCCF for 11 kits.

Don't worry, thanks to BCFD's swift response Zeke is ok!

The grant from the Battle Creek Community Foundation aims to ensure every story like Zeke's has a happy ending. Each fire truck will be equipped with life-saving pet oxygen mask in three sizes, which can be sanitized and re-used as long as they are in good condition. Zeke's owner, Kristen Greenwood adds,

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to the Battle Creek Fire Department and to everyone who continues to champion these lifesaving efforts for our four-legged family members