New Yorker Resorts to Putting Face Mask on Her Dog for Walk in Smoky City

A New York pet owner took no chances when it came to taking her dog for a walk.

Karol Rodriguez took to TikTok to show the lengths they have gone to protect their 15-year-old canine, Maria, as the Big Apple continues to suffer from the fallout of the devastating wildfires being witnessed across neighboring Canada.

Massive plumes of hazardous smoke from the wildfires have been blowing southwards, covering New York City and much of the East Coast in a cloud of orange haze.

As a result, New York City's air quality has plummeted dramatically, with the high levels of particulate matter in the air seeing the Big Apple move ahead of usual front-runners like Dubai and Delhi to hit top spot for the worst air quality in the world.

With some experts warning the toxic air engulfing New York City may have shortened people's lives by an hour and is the equivalent of smoking six cigarettes, several New Yorkers are taking precautions, such as sealing off A/C units and blocking gaps under doorways to prevent smoke from getting in.

Rodriguez is taking similar steps to protect Maria while taking her out for necessary walks around the city.

In a video that has already been watched 4.6 million times on TikTok, Rodriguez showed viewers the special mask Maria is wearing for their outdoor excursions around New York. Watch it here.

Writing alongside the post, Rodriguez told followers Maria was wearing a mask because they did not want their "baby breathing that s*** in."

In the clip, Rodriguez and another unnamed individual can be seen preparing to go outside with Maria, who is masked up and on a leash. Maria is then shown walking down the stairs outside her apartment, with the clip concluding on a shot of the masked-up dog out on the orange-tinted streets of New York.

According to Rodriguez, Maria was more than happy to wear the mask. "She had it on for a good while," Rodriguez told one person commenting on the clip. "She's 15 and over it, so she lets us do whatever."

While it's important for dogs to get exercise and go outside to do "their business" it's apparent from Rodriguez's responses to viewers commenting on the clip that their walk would be a short one.

One viewer commented: "My dog keeps trying to make me take her to the park today like GIRL both our lungs can't do it!!!" with Rodriguez appearing to concur with the reply:
"GURLLLLL there's fun INSIDE the house."

Rodriguez is not the only dog owner taking these kinds of precautions. On Twitter, several pictures have surfaced showing the incredible face mask one woman made for her Labrador while they are out and about in New York.

Newsweek has contacted Rodriguez for comment.

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