Those Heroic Pet Rescues by Firefighters Are Often Illegal

CPR and oxygen masks are frequently off limits.

Many first responders don’t hesitate to save a pet’s life using CPR or an oxygen mask after a house fire.

But the practice is often illegal, the Washington Post reports.

In Maryland, giving medical care to animals without a veterinary license is punishable by a fine or jail time, according to the newspaper. Civil liability is also a risk.

Many other states have similar laws.

Maryland legislators recently passed a bill to specifically allow emergency personnel to provide such treatment, and the measure is now headed for the desk of Gov. Larry Hogan. Twenty-two states have passed such laws, according to the Post.

After reading about a similar bill that passed in Ohio, Democratic legislator Clarence Lam, sponsor of the Maryland proposal, “began asking around to firefighters and different first responders.”

“They didn’t realize that what they were doing was against the law,” Lam said.

Read more at the Washington Post