National Post ePaper

Pet hotel fire puts reform on radar

— The Washington Post

The pet-boarding centre was engulfed in smoke and flames by the time firefighters arrived late Saturday. They heard no barks or yelps.

“They were met with conditions that are worst-possible scenario,” Georgetown, Tex., fire Chief John Sullivan said at a Sunday news conference.

Seventy-five dogs were inside Ponderosa Pet Resort, about 50 km north of Austin.

All of them died, Sullivan said.

“I’ve been doing this for 29 years and this is the first incident that I’ve had where we’ve lost so many pets,” he added. The dogs probably died of smoke inhalation, the fire department said in a news release.

While the investigation into the cause of the fire was ongoing, Sullivan said, the incident has led to a new-found push to amend local fire codes, which don’t require sprinkler systems in facilities like the pet hotel.

The blaze was the latest U.S. fire this year that resulted in dozens of animal deaths.

In April, 54 dogs died in a fire at a kennel in Bardstown, Ky.

Fire officials determined it was an accident.

A home in Sparta, Wis., caught fire in May, killing 14 adult dogs, 12 puppies and two cats.

Thirteen dogs and a feral cat died in August from a fire in Chandler, Ariz.

NEWS

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2021-09-22T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-09-22T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://nationalpost.pressreader.com/article/282114934716956

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