Posted on 12/18/2008 3:14:46 PM PST by nuconvert
A fire at an Oshawa shelter killed 200 animals, including 150 cats and dozens of bunnies, guinea pigs and hamsters, which were likely lulled to sleep by the smoke, and died after inhaling it.
Animal workers looked on helplessly early today as flames licked up the Durham Humane Society headquarters (pictured above), located in an industrial plaza near Lake Ontario.
Police officers and firefighters ran into the burning building and managed to carry out nine dogs, two cats and a rat, some of which were treated for smoke inhalation. As of yesterday afternoon, humane society workers had tallied the dead to about 150 cats, two dogs, a puppy and dozens of smaller animals.
“It’s like losing your own family pet, times 200,” said Kay Anderson, a kennel worker who spent most of her time preparing adult cats for adoption. “It’s shock, it’s devastation, it’s complete heartache. It’s a second home to all of us. We all have animals of our own that came from there.”
Fire officials were combing through the charred building, but this afternoon said they had found nothing to suggest the fire was deliberately set. The cause remains unknown and damage is pegged at $250,000.
Oshawa’s chief fire prevention officer, Susan King, said the blaze broke out shortly after 2 a.m., and hours later fire crews were still putting out stubborn hot spots.
After they were carried out of the burning building, the surviving animals kept warm inside police cruisers as they waited for Oshawa Animal Services to arrive.
(Excerpt) Read more at network.nationalpost.com ...
This is very sad.
But I’m convinced all dogs go to heaven. If they don’t, then as Will Rogers said, I want to go where they do.
Man, that’s harsh.
“A humane society fire.” How ironic.
Terrible. The only good thing is that the animals died of smoke inhalation, which is rather painless.
Yeah, considering there’s nothing ironic about it. Funny guy here folks.
Ironic would be something like firefighters getting called out to put out a fire, only to come back to a burned-down firehouse. That’s ironic.
Nothing ironic about this situation.
I can’t imagine the panic of these poor animals.
Excuse me while I go hug my pup and lump of cat.
A vet on the scene said the animals died of smoke inhalation, which put them to sleep before killing them. “That helps us more so than thinking of the more horrific part of it,” said Ms. Anderson.
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At least they just went to sleep before they crossed “the Rainbow Bridge.”
I can't think of any other country where fire and police would treat animals for smoke inhalation rather than just letting them die. I thank them for their efforts.
Poor animals. We have a bunny at Rainbow Bridge. I hope all these little creatures made it there as well.
How many animals did they save? How many employees died?
How humane is that?
Unmanned shelter.
It didn’t look painless for those on 9-11.
“How many animals did they save?”
Very few
“How many employees died?”
None
If they couldn’t have someone there 24hrs, they should have at least had a very good sprinkler system.
It’s very sad.
Irony: "The incongruity between what might be expected and what actually happens."
The irony is replete: "humane society fire." The news story endeavored to convince everyone that the animals did not suffer, dying instead from smoke inhalation (asfixiation). How humane. We call that "spin."
It is usually a code requirement that buildings have a fire supression system. Especially a building for commercial/business reasons. All the animal shelters around me have one, they have to.
Hell of a lot better than burning to death.
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