A CHARITY dog walk will take place to raise money for specialist equipment used by firefighters to help save pets’ lives.

Little Oliver Twists Dog Training Academy, which is based in Maldon, will be hosting the event at Upsons Farm in Hatfield Peverel on Sunday, December 1.

The fundraising drive is to provide Maldon fire station with pet-sized breathing kits for use on animals at the scene of fires.

A spokesman for the event said: “Our fire engines do not carry breathing apparatus for our pets as standard.

“Forty-six per cent of households in the UK have pets and with more than 40,000 house fires year, unlike humans, pets will normally hide in houses from fire and therefore suffer smoke inhalation much quicker than a human.

“The masks provided by Smokey Paws are specially designed to fit over the snout of an animal to help deliver a better flow of oxygen to the animal, increasing the chance of reviving the pet.”

He added: “We want to raise money to provide the breathing masks to our local fire services.”

The fundraiser will take place from 2pm to 3.30pm, starting with a 45-minute walk and then tea and cakes afterwards.

For further information about the event, visit littleolivertwists.co.uk.