WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) - We've all heard about the importance of learning CPR so that we might be able to save the life of someone we care about, but what if that someone you want to save is your fur baby?

Today, the Kansas Humane Society held a pet first aid CPR class which was free to the community. Attendees learned about common pet emergencies, first aid basics, and a run-through of how pet CPR works. Tips were presented to owners on what they can do if their pet experiences an emergency.

Pet parent Joyce Eddington wishes she had known how to perform pet CPR when her cat choked on a large piece of cat food.

"I stuck my finger in his mouth because he couldn't breathe and there was a chunk of cat food lodged in his esophagus and he bit me and cause that was just instinct and he just he died," Eddington said. She believes her pet would still be alive if she'd been able to perform CPR.

According to Registered Veterinarian Technician, Amanda Hackerott, pets needing CPR is something she sees on a daily basis.

"It's really important that pet parents understand different emergencies especially like a CPR case and know what to do while they're on their way to the vet's office." 

Hackerott said pets are just like humans:  like people, they grow old and have different illnesses that can result in heart failure that necessitates the use of CPR-like intervention. 

Unlike humans, CPR is administered from mouth to snout, however, doing compressions and checking the pulse is the same.