More than 20 to 30 cats perished in an Orlando, Florida animal shelter fire that broke out around 10:27 p.m. on Wednesday night, Lisa McDonald of the Orange County Fire Rescue Department said.
Fire rescue officials said when they arrived at the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando, the building was already 20% engulfed in heavy flames through the structure’s roof.
Officials with the Pet Alliance said a total of 20 cats and 26 dogs were pulled from the burning animal shelter.
It appears that the blaze started from the front of the building where the cats were enclosed, according to officials.
The rescued animals will be relocated to a different Pet Alliance location.
OCFRD and @OrangeCoSheriff remain on scene. Fire crews attacking fire from outside. PIO on scene. https://t.co/INMMsW1YGg pic.twitter.com/QjiP4k8gk7
— OCFire Rescue (@OCFireRescue) September 16, 2021
Stephen Bardy, the executive director of Pet Alliance, said that the building is a total loss.
“It’s devastating, I was gutted, and then I started thinking, okay, how do I temporarily house these animals, you immediately go into the next steps,” Bardy said.
Bardy said there’s no need for anyone to come to the location on Thursday. Still, financial donations to the Pet Alliance can be made online, and they could also use donations of wet cat food to the Pet Alliance shelter in Sanford, and of course, adoptions are always welcome.
