Family donates pet respirator to local fire dept.

Marion firefighters will now have a better chance of rescuing animals suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation, and revived with oxygen, thanks to Cristi Soyez of Cedar Point.

“I have a tendency to buy my grandkids something at Valentines Day, and I tend to go crazy (on what I get them),” she said.

“But, this year, I decided to do something different.”

Soyez said she got the idea of buying the respirator kit for pets from her grandson, Ayden Brown.

“His birthday was Feb. 1, and instead of having a birthday presents, Ayden donated the money to the (Caring Hands) Humane Society in Newton,” she said.

Not long after her grandson’s donation was made to Caring Hands. Soyez said she started seeing all sorts of posting about animals that were hurt or died because no oxygen masks were available to help them.

“A friend of mine in Emporia lost two dogs. The kids were really close to those dogs, too.

“I don’t think resuscitation would have saved them, but it got us me to thinking about how it could help other pets survive.”

For Soyez, the idea of buying the kit made her feel better because now it’s there if somebody’s pet needs it.

“We were all very hap­py and it made our grandchild­ren feel good, and it was such an unselfish act by the grandchildren.”

“My daughters felt good about it, my daddy felt good and was excited about it and the firefighters were glad, too, because many of them have pets,” she said.

For no more than the kit cost, Soyez said, it was well worth it for peace of mind.

One of the reasons Soyez chose Marion’s fire department to donate the animal respirator kit was because her father. Marle Bruner served as its fire chief for many years.

“My dad also had a hand in building the fire station,” she said. “And I spent a lot of time as Smokey the Bear.”

Soyez said she would have started this year giving her grandchildren flowers this year for Valentines Day, but instead gave the pet respirators

In recognizing their selfless act this year, Soyez said her grandchildren all live in Marion and their names include the Taylor’s—Shannon, Quenton, Jaseon and Kolemon and the—Brown’s Ayden and Kasen.

Although Soyez said she lives in Cedar Point, she loves er animals, too.

“We have goats, bucket calves, dogs, cats, and did have alpacas until last week,” she said.

“Pets are family members, and I know firefighters want to do anything they can (the same as pet owners) to keep them safe,” she said. “It’s a new way to help our pets.”

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