Dozens of dogs rescued from Seattle doggy day care fire

Seattle firefighters and staff from a Lake City doggy day care rescued dozens of dogs from a fire Wednesday.

Four dogs from The Dog Resort on Lake City Way Northeast were taken to a veterinary hospital after the fire broke out inside the facility’s dryer room around 11 a.m., said Seattle Fire Department spokesperson David Cuerpo.

Firefighters reported no fatalities inside the building, Cuerpo said, and staff members and animal-control officers were able to account for all 115 dogs in the facility.

Seattle Animal Shelter staff took 75 dogs to other animal boarding facilities while medics took the four injured dogs for treatment, said Jesse Gilliam, a city spokesperson. The remaining dogs were reunited with their owners during the fire response.

While responding to the call, firefighters said they “immediately encountered” multiple dogs trying to escape the smoke-filled building.

Dozens of dogs were shepherded to a business’s fenced property across the street, and two could be seen getting treated with an oxygen mask. The fire department said it provided lifesaving measures for four dogs. Seattle police, Animal Control and neighboring businesses also helped corral dogs.

After firefighters worked to get the fire under control and conducted a primary search to confirm all seven employees were accounted for, they searched the building to rescue dogs that were still in the facility.

Paramedics treated a 19-year-old woman who was in stable condition and declined to be taken to the hospital, according to a news release.

The fire damage appeared to be limited to the building’s interior, with the exception of holes firefighters created in the roof to allow smoke to vent. The building was not safe to reinhabit Wednesday afternoon, Cuerpo said.

On Wednesday, fire investigators said the fire was accidental. It started in the dryer and extended to the back of the building. The estimated loss is $300,000, according to SFD.