At the fire department in West Point, Virginia, Monica and a volunteer firefighter show how the pet oxygen mask works.

Monica Plumb
Powhatan, Virginia

July 2009. Bonner Springs, Kansas. A cat rescued from a house fire is having trouble breathing. He needs oxygen—and quick. It's a good thing the responding fire department is equipped with a pet oxygen mask kit. Designed just for pets, the mask delivers oxygen to save the cat's life.

This cat has Monica Plumb, a Virginia 11-year-old, to thank. Just a few months before the fire, Monica sent a pet oxygen mask kit to the Bonner Springs Fire Department. By providing the mask kits to fire departments, Monica is helping save pets' lives.

A story similar to the one above is what inspired Monica to get involved. "I always wanted to help animals," she tells us. "I saw a story on the news one night about a dog who was saved by a firefighter using one of these pet oxygen masks. I thought it was something very good to raise money for."

Helping Pets Breathe Easy

With the help of her dad, Monica started a website, petmask.com. She made fliers and collection cans to place in local businesses, gas stations, and restaurants. Before she knew it, she had raised enough money to equip all the fire stations in her town with pet oxygen mask kits.

"Since it went so well, I decided to keep going," Monica explains. She has since provided the kits to hundreds of fire departments across the U.S., plus a few in Canada, and she's not planning to quit anytime soon. "I hope to provide pet oxygen masks to every fire station that needs them!"

You can help too! Go to petmask.com for info on sponsoring pet masks for your local fire department and others in need.