Deb Morris knows what its like to lose one of your best friends in a house fire. Even if that friend is of the furry variety and not the human kind, it still hurts to lose a pet to a fire.
    That’s why Morris will perch herself outside Fareway from 8 a.m. to noon this Saturday in an effort to raise money to purchase animal oxygen masks for the Cresco Fire Department.
    Morris, whose family lost almost everything, including their cat, to a house fire when she was 9 years old, understands how hard it can be to lose a beloved pet due to smoke inhalation. When she read a recent article about another local family’s pets dying in a house fire, she decided she wanted to take action to help prevent that from happening as often in the future.
    Morris, a Cresco resident and an animal lover since she was a kid, knew animal oxygen masks could save pets’ lives. She had read about two women who had organized a fundraiser to purchase masks for the Osage Fire Department, and decided she would like to do something similar.
    She soon began brainstorming ways to raise enough money to buy a set for the local fire department.
    Borrowing an idea from a film, Morris will give a “Gratitude Rock” to each person who gives a donation toward the masks. The multicolored-rocks of all sizes, which Morris collected during walks with her dogs, are meant to be kept as a symbol of what someone is grateful for.
    Some may choose to keep smaller rocks in their pockets throughout the day as a reminder to be thankful for the positive things in life. Others may choose to place their gratitude rock on a nightstand so they will see it each morning, Morris said.
    “Sometimes everyone thinks too much about what we don’t have and this might help focus on what they do have,” she said.
    If Morris raises more than the amount needed to buy enough animal oxygen masks for the Cresco Fire Department, she will donate the extras to neighboring communities’ fire departments.
    “If I ever won the lottery, I would give every fire department in Iowa a set of these,” Morris said.
    The cone-shaped plastic masks, which come in three sizes, allow firefighters to give oxygen more easily to animals rescued from fires. The masks fit cats, dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, ferrets, birds and even certain farm animals like sheep. Oxygen masks designed for people don’t securely fit most animals.
    Commonly, indoor pets hide during a fire, making rescue by firefighters difficult. The masks can make it easier to resuscitate these animals, who are at significant risk for smoke inhalation due to the amount of time they were trapped inside.
    Similar fundraisers have been popping up throughout the nation in recent years.
    Morris hopes to make the Cresco fundraiser an annual event.
    If anyone is unable to attend the fundraiser on Saturday but wishes to contribute to the cause, donations may be sent to: Cresco Fire Department, 227 N. Elm St., Cresco, IA, 52136.
    A letter to the editor written by Morris can be found on this week’s Perspectives page for more information on her upcoming fundraiser.