FYI, firefighters and others doing emergency breathing as well as ‘modified’ CPR on dogs and cats is surprisingly common...for the breathing part, you hold the snout shut, tilt the head and breathe into the nostrils as opposed to tilting the head back and breathing into the mouth as with humans. I’ve never heard of a canine or feline disease being transmitted to a rescuer in this manner, but other animals, particularly rodentia, are more susceptible to different types of diseases. Well cared-for house pets are usually going to be safer, on average, than a ‘wild’ animal in this regard. If an animal had obvious signs of other diseases such as white and / or bloody foam around the mouth, skin lesions or other abnormalities or if it had been reported as behaving erratically earlier, I would definitely stay well clear. If it looked otherwise healthy, it would be a judgement call.
Thanks for passing this info along. It’s always heartwarming to hear of a pet that alerted a family to danger. I’ve shed some tears of gratitude for kind rescuers who saved those same animals.