For immediate release:
April 27, 2021
Contact:
Brooke Rossi 202-483-7382
Norfolk, Virginia. – In honor of Firefighter gratitude day (May 4th) PETA looks back at some of their favorites Compassionate Fire Department Award recipients for outstanding animal rescue efforts:
- Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service Service (Gaithersburg, Maryland) firefighters chased and rescued Astro, a small dog who ran out onto the highway and into the woods after a car accident.
- Berlin professional firefighters IAFF Local 1088 (Berlin, New Hampshire) in a boat they caught up with a deer that fell through the ice on the Androskoggin River and took it back to the shore.
- Cobb County Fire Department (Marietta, Georgia) Firefighters rescued six rabbits from an apartment fire and supplied them with oxygen through a specially designed mask.
- Bessemer Fire Service (Bessemer, Alabama) Firefighters crawled through a burning, smoky house to rescue a dog named Tide, hiding under a mattress.
- Kuttava Fire Department (Kuttawa, Kentucky) Firefighters consoled a dog named Lucky after a highway crash that killed a passenger and demanded that his guardian be airlifted to the hospital.
- Rochester Fire Department (Rochester, Minnesota) Firefighters used ice rescue equipment to save a dog from drowning in a partially frozen lake.
Above: Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (Gaithersburg, Maryland), professional firefighters from Berlin, local office 1088 IAFF (Berlin, New Hampshire); center: Cobb County Fire Department (Marietta, Georgia); Bessemer Fire Department (Bessemer, Alabama); Bottom: Kuttawa Fire Department (Kuttawa, Kentucky), Rochester Fire Department (Rochester, Minnesota). All photos are courtesy of the respective fire departments. (High resolution photos are available here.)
“These brave firefighters didn’t let hot fires or freezing water stop them from helping animals in need,” says PETA vice president Colleen O’Brien. “PETA honors these heroes for helping the most vulnerable members of our communities and sets an example of compassion for everyone.”
PETA reminds animal guardians to keep their dogs on a leash at all times when walking, especially near bodies of water, and to have an emergency plan for their companion animals, including having carriers ready to grab them in case of fire or other emergencies. … Families are encouraged to watch PETA fire safety videos and post signs on doors or windows to alert rescuers to the presence of dogs, cats and other companion animals. Guardians can order stickers from a PETA store or make their own.
PETA Compassionate Fire Department Award winners receive a framed certificate, a box of delicious vegan cookies and a copy Diet Engine 2– A Texas Firefighter’s 28-Day Plan to Maintain Optimal Firefighting with Vegan Food.
PETA, whose motto is in part that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way,” is opposed to arrogance, a worldview focused on human superiority. For more information please visit PETA.org or subscribe to the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram…