Type: Private Purchase Civilian Dog Respirator

Manufacturer(s): N/A

Filter Type: Unknown

Date(s): 10/39 (exhale valve)

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GasMasksUK Collection Serial No:

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In 1939, prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, animal owners were advised by the National Air Raid Precautions Animals Committee (NARPAC) that in some instances destruction of family pets is the kindest option with the looming threat of bombing of major cities and food rationing. Sadly, this resulted in hundreds of thousands of household pets being euthanised. However, not all pet owners followed this advice, and some even went beyond that and ensured their pets had the same means of protection as people. This included Miss D. H. Boxer of St Gabriels Cottage in Torquay, whose Poodle named Puck was provided with his own respirator as shown here which has a little sticker on the underside of the filter onto which these details are written. It was a commercially available item for purchase by private individuals, based on the small number that exist today it seems that quite a few were likely sold during the Second World War who deemed their pets survival as important as their own.​