Deadly Fire Claims the Lives of At Least 75 Animals in a Pet Resort in Central Texas

A dangerous fire ignited at a Williamson County pet resort on the 18th of September which was on Saturday, causing the death of around 75 animals.

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Life-threatening Fire at Ponderosa Pet Resort  

Chief John Sullivan from the Georgetown Fire Department confirmed Sunday that the dangerous fire took place on the 19th of Sept. at around 11:05 p.m. at Ponderosa Pet Resort in Georgetown.

Sullivan says when crews got to the location, they saw massive fire and smoke - people were convinced the animals died from smoke inhalation. There were no humans inside amid the fire.

On Sunday, Sullivan said: "The building was not occupied by humans, but by no indication do I want to lead anyone to believe that that is any less tragic. It is extremely heart-wrenching for us as first responders. My heart just dropped when I got the address and knew exactly the location we were going to."

Crews will make effort to retrieve the animals' remains to take them to families, GFD said.

Also Read: Homeless Man Risks Life to Rescue Animals at a Burning Shelter

Chicago Kennel Fire

Ponderosa offers services including grooming, training, and boarding. Owner Phillip Paris who is a dog trainer and former City of Georgetown police officer found the resort more than 10 years ago. On Sunday, the owner together with the department and expresses sympathy to families that lost their pets, GFD said.

Deadly fires at facilities that accommodate pets have taken place across the country in the past. Back in 2019, the Chicago kennel fire took the lives of 31 dogs and this made Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker approve a law that requires kennels to always have workers constantly and also remain equipped with fire alarms and sprinklers.

Earlier this 2021, a fire at a dog kennel in Bardstown, Kentucky, led to the death of about 50 dogs. The fire spared one female, who recently gave birth to six puppies who also lost their lives.

(Photo : Getty Images)

What Could Have Ignited the Fire?

A court case in 2017 in Washington D.C. was about a pet owner who took a boarding facility to court after another dog killed her teacup Yorkie. The owner of the dog claimed the facility was careless. The facility denied the claims of negligence and called the death a "freak accident."

GFD says it hasn't gotten to the point of discovering what led to the fire, but crews have established where it started. The department says it's making a lot of effort know what prompted the fire as quickly as possible.

Sullivan concluded on Sunday saying, "We encourage people not to minimize this. It's a big deal when you lose an extension of your family... My heart goes out - because it was unfair that I could go home last night and give my dog Rockford the biggest hug possible. He's my comfort, he's my confidante. And many of these family members have had that ripped out from them now."

Related Article: 100 Animals Dead: Overnight Fire Ravaged Indianapolis Pet Store

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