Oxygen masks for pets now part of standard fire engine equipment in Essex

All fire engines in Essex will now carry oxygen masks for pets.

Smokey Paws, a non-profit organisation, supplied the pet-friendly devices, specifically designed to provide essential care to animals in house fires.

The oxygen masks are made in various sizes to accommodate all types of pets in the UK.

Differing from human masks, these animal masks are designed with a conical shape to fit over the animal's snout.

The new masks also deliver a greater amount of oxygen, providing 85-90 per cent oxygen as opposed to the 10-15 per cent which would be offered by pets wearing masks designed for humans.

Paul Jones, operational group trainer, said: "Over half of the UK’s population have at least one animal, and as a fire and rescue service we rescue animals to prevent others from risking their life to do so.

"Having these masks on every fire engine in Essex will make a big difference.”