A pet resort was the location of a Saturday night fire that resulted in the death of around 75 animals, local authorities reported.
The fire started around 11:05 p.m. at Ponderosa Pet Resort in Georgetown, according to the Georgetown Fire Department chief John Sullivan confirmed Sunday, KXAN reported.
“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,” Sullivan said.
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Crews arrived on the scene around midnight and found significant fire and smoke, Sullivan said. The animals left inside during the fire were believed to have died from smoke inhalation; no humans were inside during the fire.
“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,” Sullivan said Sunday.
Families of lost pets have taken to the fence surrounding the remains of the Ponderosa, creating a memorial for the furry friends that were lost.
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Crews will now work to retrieve the remains of animals left inside for families who lost their pets, the GFD said.
The pet hotel offered training, grooming, and boarding for furry friends and was founded by Phillip Paris over 10 years ago. Paris is still the owner and was a dog trainer and former City of Georgetown police officer.
On Sunday, the GFD said the owner was cooperating with the department to determine what happened, and he expressed condolences to families of the pets.
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It is too early to pinpoint what happened and caused the fire, but the point of origin has been established. The department said it will work to determine the cause quickly.
“We encourage people not to minimize this,” Sullivan concluded on Sunday. “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.”
