75 Dogs Killed In Fire At Ponderosa Pet Resort In Georgetown

Round Rock TX

20 September, 2021

12:02 PM

Description

GEORGETOWN, TX — About 75 dogs were killed in a fire at the Ponderosa Pet Resort in Georgetown Saturday night, the Georgetown Fire Department confirmed Sunday. Twenty-five firefighters received multiple 911 call for flames at 2815 N Austin Avenue around 10:56 p.m. Saturday, Georgetown Fire Chief John Sullivan told reporters on Sunday. When crews arrived on scene, they found heavy fire and smoke at the pet resort. Firefighters were able to gain access to the building and open some ventilation to try to control some of the smoke, but said they were unable to save any of the dogs inside the building. No humans were inside. Sullivan said the building did sustain significant smoke and fire damage inside. Live in Round Rock? Click here to subscribe to our free breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and download our free mobile app on Android or iPhone. "I'm shocked. I've been doing this for 29 years and this is the first incident that I've had where we've lost so many pets. And, again, I hate to use that term because, to me, a pet is a lot more than a pet. It is the closest friend. And I wish I could convey my internal emotions adequately," Sullivan said, adding, "I just wish I could go back in time to make it better." Sullivan said the fire department plans to investigate on what the origin of the fire could have been and looking for causation factors to rule them out. This is Mack, he unfortunately was at ponderosa last night. Most sweet and loving dog we've ever owned. My wife and I are devastated at this loss. We know he's in heaven with all the other good boys and good girls. pic.twitter.com/VjBoo7YSBu— NDL (@nicholaslamia) September 19, 2021 He said the department has brought in arson dogs and is evaluating all manner of possible causes, including electrical and natural causes. Investigators are also reviewing video footage. The fire chief said the resort owner is being "extremely cooperative" and is "extremely remorseful" about the incident. Sullivan said the fire department has no reason to believe the owner was trying to compromise the care of any of the dogs. Patch has reached out to the resort owner. When we receive an update, we will update this story. He said officials should have more information on the incident within the next week as to what causes have been ruled out; however, it's possible that several contributing factors could cause a fire to remain underdetermined for some time. Our dog Toby was one of those who perished in the fire last night. He was a sweet puppy and a member of our family. We are devastated. pic.twitter.com/r9LVoyTuW3— Kyle White (@KyleWWhite1999) September 19, 2021 At this time, the State Fire Marshal's Office is assisting the department with this investigation. Sullivan said anyone with photos or videos related to the fire is welcome to send those to the department. "We're looking at all leads possible so that when we look these … owners back in the eye, those that lost family members, we can tell them conclusively what happened but then, more importantly, not just what happened, this is where, together, we can try to figure out how we can prevent something like this from happening again in the future," Sullivan said. In response to the incident, Rainbow Bridge Pet Crematory as well as Rainbow Bridge of Texas, is offering free cremation services to the families involved. A Change.org petition has already been launched calling for a change in legislation when it comes to housing pets.