12-Year-Old On Mission To Donate Pet-Friendly Oxygen Masks To Fire Stations In Pennsylvania
Follow CBSPHILLY Facebook | Twitter
BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) — In order to fulfill her birthday wish, a 12-year-old girl from Bucks County is on a mission to save one pet-life at a time by donating as many essential kits to local fire stations.
Turtles Washing Up 'Cold-Stunned' At Jersey Shore As Wintry Weather Arrives
When Emily Rilling found out that most fire stations near her didn't have enough pet oxygen recovery masks, she took it upon herself to change that by beginning a project to supply every station with at least two kits.
"I wanted to do something charitable for my birthday for animals and instead of money I wanted to donate kits," Emily explains. She quickly found out that the need went beyond just her neighborhood.
Resus-A-Pet, the project begun by Emily, was named with the help of a fireman and has become so popular that they're hosting events for first responders to learn how to use their kits.
Each kit has three different masks of various sizes to fit over the faces of pets rescued from fires.
"When we found out the need, we expanded to Bucks County," she adds. Their bid to get at least two pet oxygen mask kits to each station in the county was a success. They recently finished supplying over 150 masks to 75 stations.
Biden Family Adopts Dog From Delaware Humane Association
Now, her goal is to help as many animals as she can and get kits to any fire trucks that might need them.
"We want to save as many pet lives as possible," Emily tells Eyewitness News. Another way Emily has begun to make that possible is by creating care packages for families with pets affected by fires.
In light of the California wildfires that have devastated many communities on the West Coast, Resus-A-Pet has reached out to find a way to help supply organizations with kits.
How To Tell If Your Dog Is Really As Smart As You Think
"When pets and families get displaced in a fire, they need leashes, bowls, blankets. Just essentials things for taking care of a dog or cat."
Anyone that would like to donate to Emily's mission or wants to learn how to help can visit the Resus-A-Pet website.
