A massive fire tore through an upstate New York animal shelter in the middle of the night, killing all 44 of its dogs.
The overnight staff at the No Dogs Left Behind shelter Canton, St. Lawrence County, were asleep when a “fast-moving fire” broke out in the facility’s kennels just before 1 a.m. Thursday, shelter and fire officials said.
When local fire departments arrived, the building was completely engulfed in flames, according to the Canton Fire Department.
“All of our survivors perished in the fire,” the animal rescue organization said in a social media post.
“We are beyond sad. We are beyond heartbroken for these dogs. Each dog was a member of our family … tragically, they are victims once again,” the shelter added.
“We have no words to express our grief.”
No humans were injured, fire officials said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The property was a sanctuary for dogs saved from being slaughtered in Asia’s dog meat industry and war-torn countries, according to WWNY-TV.
Other dogs belonging to the property owner were housed in another location on the property and were not harmed.