Texas company unleashes hospital-grade face masks for dogs

AUSTIN, Texas -- Leave it to an Austin company to give us what we really need during this pandemic: dog face masks. Unlike their human companions, however, these are not for use in the fight against COVID-19.

On Aug. 27, locally owned The Good Air Team announced the release of its K9 Mask, an N95-caliber snout shield for dogs. Though they resemble muzzles, these specially designed masks filter smog, emissions, pollens, smoke from wildfires, dust, and even bacteria.

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Basically, says the company, whenever a human is advised to wear a mask for environmental reasons, so should a canine. Exposure to toxic particles - particularly smoke - can cause pulmonary disease and vision problem in pups, among other issues.

Each mask is washable and outfitted with a removable four-layer air filter to help remove particles from the air as the dog breathes in. The air filter adheres to the Centers for Disease Control's requirements for an N95 mask, a hospital-grade face covering that filters 95 percent of the toxins in air.

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