VERNON, Conn. — To many, pets are family, not just furry friends.
"My pets come first. I've always been a huge animal lover," said Diana Drummond, president of Friends of Saxony Dog Park. "We owe it to them to be as loyal to them as they are to us."
For her and dozens of others who signed up to take a pet CPR and first aid class, that means knowing how to help their pets in an emergency.
"I always say there's no pet 911. If you or I were ill or injured you'd dial 911 and an ambulance would show up. And the problem is resolved. But what do you do if your pet is sick?" said Tom Rinelli of Paws and Claws 911 based in Long Island, New York.
He made the trip to Vernon Wednesday evening to teach his class. Hands-on training with pups that were a little more quiet and a little less squirmy than the ones at home. Going over everything from what to do if your pet is choking to how to muzzle them to protect yourself as you help them.
"We fill that gap between the emergency and definitive care. You're smack dab in the middle," Rinelli said.
In an emergency situation, things can get chaotic. Whether it's your dog or someone else's that you're trying to help, the trainer said the most important thing that people can take away from the class is to stay calm, stay focused, and then act.
"People panic in times of distress and there's too many animals that don't make it. People don't know what to do. And we have the opportunity to help people save their family members," Drummond said.
It was the first time the town ever hosted the class and held it with the intention of making sure even the smallest members of the community were safe.
"Within a matter of a couple of days it completely filled up so it's very popular," said Michael Purcaro, emergency and risk management director for the town of Vernon.
"Having these additional life-saving skills for pets is just as important as being able to rescue and save their owners," said Chief Stephen Eppler of the Vernon Fire Department.
The class was held with the hope that owners would never have to use the skills learned.
Gaby Molina is a reporter and anchor at FOX61 News. She can be reached at mmolina@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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