BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writer
CHRIS KELLY staff At the Upper Freehold Regional Elementary School on May 14, Ronnie Daldos shows firefighters George Luck and Brian Craine an oxygen mask that can be used on animals in an emergency situation. UPPER FREEHOLD – A self-proclaimed pet lover and activist, Ronnie Daldos is determined to teach children the importance of giving back to the community and its furry friends.
So, when the Upper Freehold resident and owner of BellasPainRelief.com – an online retail store focused on canine health and mobility – learned about firefighters in other areas of the state receiving pet rescue oxygen masks designed to revive dogs and cats, her mission became clear.
She thought the masks could be something for Upper Freehold Regional Elementary School students to promote for animal welfare. Daldos asked her neighbors, Raymond Mills and Becky Cary, and their second-grade classmates in the elementary school to lead the endeavor.
Daldos visited the students and provided them with a demonstration on how the oxygen masks work and how important they are in saving the life of a pet.
“The children were very interested and worked very hard to bring this to fruition,” Raymond’s mother, Patty, said.
Second-grade teacher Patti Wahlgren helped her students with the project by initiating “Chores for Change.”
In lieu of having her students collect small donations to purchase the masks, Wahlgren asked the children to volunteer to do household chores in order to earn change.
Each time a student completed a chore from April 19 to May 3, he or she earned 10 cents, 25 cents or 50 cents to donate to the cause. The kids earned a total of $95 to help purchase two masks.
Prior to this week, when the class donated the masks to Allentown’s Hope Fire Company, the department didn’t have any pet oxygen masks.
After human life is secured in any kind of emergency situation, firefighters in the department do try to save stricken animals. There are times when rescuers have even tried mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to save a family pet, according to Daldos.
“At the scene of a fire, citizens have their animals’ health, safety and well-being on their minds,” Wahlgren said. “Most fire departments do not keep exact numbers of how many pets [are rescued] from fires, but it happens all the time.”
According to information Daldos provided to the class, half of all house fires involve animals. She said that the pets are often not found until the fire is out and it is seemingly too late.
“Having specialized oxygen masks will make their recovery greater,” she said.
The animal oxygen masks come with different fittings so that they can be used for any size animal, from a ferret to a Great Dane. Working dogs, such as police K-9’s and guide dogs that have medical emergencies, can also be assisted by having oxygen administered to them through the masks, according to Daldos.
Firefighters George Luck and Brian Craine picked up the masks from the students on May 14.