GREENVILLE, N.C. —  Pitt County Animal Services announced a grant award for $15,000 from Petco Love to purchase pet oxygen masks, giving more departments the ability to provide better emergency care.

What You Need To Know

  • Pitt County Services won a $15,000 grant from Petco Love to buy oxygen masks    

  • It comes after an apartment fire in May that affected over 20 animals 

  • Many needed oxygen due to smoke inhalation 

While Chad Singleton’s primary responsibilities as director surround tending to the organization’s budget, he is always around to help an animal in need.

And we’ll be very thorough in that process,” Singleton said. His key priority is the safety of animals in Pitt County. 

“Back in May, there was a larger apartment fire that occurred unexpectedly within the city of Greenville, [it] affected approximately 22 animals. Some unfortunately lost their lives in that fire. Others needed to be resuscitated. And then we needed oxygen because of smoke inhalation,” Singleton said. 

The Treybrooke Apartments fire racked up $3 million in damage, according to Greenville Fire and Rescue. The tragic event motivated Singleton to investigate how the county could be better equipped for the next time.

One idea, a better way to aid people’s pets when they need it the most, would be oxygen masks. He said he took the idea and ran with it.

“I started trying to write grants, trying to find contributors that would assist us with, you know, making this large purchase, obviously for the county,” Singleton said.

PCAS bought pet oxygen masks earlier this year using the grant money it received and quickly worked to get them out to all first responder units in the area

The mask kits feature multiple sizes of reusable masks and instructional guides. 

“We wanted to try and put one in every EMS division and every fire division for those that were doing first responder in that we wanted to be able to put them there at the scene in the event that it happens,” Singleton said. 

Singleton added he wants to save as many animals that can be saved, and these masks will play a big role in doing that. 

“It probably doesn’t occur very often. But when it does, we want to make sure that we’ve got the resources in the community to be able to take care of them,” Singleton said.