An animal shelter in Orlando, Florida, experienced its worst nightmare late Wednesday night – a fire broke out at the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando, and it is believed that upwards of 30 cats perished in the blaze. On Thursday morning, Orange County Animal Services posted images of the deadly fire, writing:
Last night, tragedy struck our community. The Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando was engulfed in flames, and several animals lost their lives. Our Animal Service Officers at the end of their night shift were the first to notice the flames and contacted Orange County Fire Rescue. They responded as quickly as they could to fight the blaze that was threatening to spread throughout the whole facility.
As reported by WESH News, it is believed that all of the dogs were safely removed from the building, but anywhere from 20 to 30 cats were likely lost because the fire was centralized in the front of the building, where the cats were held. Stephen Bardy, the executive director of Pet Alliance said:
“If you run a shelter, this is literally your worst nightmare. To see your building in fire and know that there are animals in there that you’re charged to care for and you can’t go in — I’m grateful that the firefighters put their lives at risk to help save as many as they could.”
Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando let supporters know that the rescued animals have been moved to a safe place:
All of the saved animals will be transported to the Sanford location for assessment and care. We appreciate the community’s outpouring of support. If you wish to make a donation you can do so on our website. We will let the community know what other help we need as we move forward.
You can help by making a donation at this link.
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