BonnerSprings.com

A 3-year-old long-haired male cat in Bonner Springs is alive today, thanks in large part to an 11-year-old Virginia girl.

Cracker was pulled from a devastating fire that broke out on the morning of July 5 in a duplex at 511-513 N. Nettleton Road. All the residents survived. So too did Cracker, who was helped by a pet rescue and resuscitation oxygen mask donated to the Bonner Springs Fire Department through the efforts of young Monica Plumb, an 11-year-old from Powhatan County, Va.

Though the fire was only a little more than two weeks ago, the story of the donation program Plumb created began almost a year ago or, if you ask her father, since the year she was able to formulate such words as “mom,” “dad” and “cat.”

“She’s been a big animal fan, a huge animal lover since she could talk,” said William Plumb, who spoke for Monica, as she was away at basketball camp and was unavailable for comment. “She’d been looking for a cause. She’d been looking for some way to help animals.”

William Plumb said his daughter had always wanted to volunteer at an animal shelter, but was too young. In October of last year, however, after seeing a news story about a dog that had been saved with the help of an animal oxygen mask, Monica found her own way to help animals. Learning that fire stations in Powhatan County had no available animal oxygen masks of their own, she took it upon herself to rectify that situation.

She began by placing collection cans in local stores, and she also made fliers and posters, requesting donations to purchase animal oxygen masks. A local news station did a story on Monica’s cause. The donations began coming in, little by little.

With the help of her parents, Monica found a retailer of the animal oxygen masks, Surgivet, that eventually agreed to sell the mask kits — which include three different-sized masks to fit large and small animals, in addition to tubing that can be connected to an oxygen tank — at cost.

“She ended up getting enough money to put the mask kits in all our stations in the county,” William Plumb said.

Soon Monica and her parents created a Web site, petmask.com, where online donations could be accepted, and the far-reaching success of her donation program was solidified.

“We’ve got so much going on with it right now, we’re not sure of the exact count,” William Plumb said of the number of mask kits that have been donated to fire stations across the country.

He said his rough estimate was that more than 50 mask kits had been donated to stations in nine different states. One has even been donated to a fire station in Canada. Donors are allowed to donate any amount they want, and if they donate $55, the total amount of a mask kit, they can choose which fire station they want to receive the mask. This is how the Bonner Springs Fire Department received its mask in April.

The donation made by Bonner Springs resident Maria Cole, a volunteer with Safe Harbor for Pets, was made none too soon for Cracker.

Bonner Springs Fire Department administrative assistant Teresa Hubbel, who was on scene at the fire to help the volunteer firefighters, said the frightened cat was alive but not looking too good when he was pulled out of the burning duplex. Hubbel said Cracker was lethargic enough to allow the mask to be put on his nose and mouth, but was soon revived and was insisting, in no uncertain terms, that the mask be taken off straight away.

“Twenty minutes or so later, he was feeling good,” Hubbel said. “He was pushing the mask away with his paws and he was done.”

That such an event could be accomplished through a program started by his 11-year-old daughter is an astonishing thought for William Plumb.

“It’s incredible,” Plumb said. “I’m so blown away about her dedication and everything that she’s doing to help animals. I think it’s really cool that she’s found a cause to work for and is doing an amazingly excellent job at it. It’s really cool to see an 11-year-old making a difference … and it’s my kid too. That’s pretty amazing.”

Monica is now old enough to work at an animal shelter, and is currently doing so, but is still strongly involved with her animal oxygen mask donation program.

“It would make me so happy to know one of my oxygen masks helped save a pet’s life,” Monica said in a testimonial on petmask.com. She also said on the Web site that she hopes to eventually be able to donate masks to every fire station in the country.

BREAKOUT: Donations for pet rescue and resuscitation oxygen mask kits, in addition to padded emergency cases in which to store the kits, can be made through the Web site, petmask.com. Visit the site for more information about the program.

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