Sad update to kitten rescue

The tender treatment given by a Fresno firefighter to this a kitten was all captured on his helmet camera.  After a fire in a Northwest Fresno apartment, he spots the creature on the floor.  He gives it oxygen, cool water, and massages it back to life.  Unfortunately, the kitten later succumbed to its injuries.

“It's a very sad loss.  The kitten, however, was in very loving hands to get taken care of,” said Beth Caffrey, of Central California S.P.C.A.

Caffrey says young animals have a difficult time recovering from lung damage.  The kitten was taken to an emergency vet, but it passed away overnight.  Still, she praises the firefighter's efforts.

“We are very fortunate to have such compassionate people in all the fields that work together,” said Caffrey.

Several Fresno fire trucks now have special oxygen masks specifically designed for animals.  Claudie Parrish donated them to give dogs and cats a better chance of survival.

“They're all designed for dogs and their muzzles to go over their face.  It fits them properly,” said Claudia Parrish, a member of the Northern California Havanese Club.

The kitten's mask was meant for a child.  No one knows whether a pet mask would have made a difference, but Parrish and animals lovers hope first responders continue fighting for pet's lives.

“I do think it's wonderful that they would try everything to try and save anything and everything,” said Parrish.

The firefighter who performed the rescue was sad to hear Wednesday that the kitten didn’t survive.