Georgetown To Create Memorial For 75 Dogs Killed In Fire

Round Rock TX

30 September, 2021

12:33 PM

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GEORGETOWN, TX — The city of Georgetown plans to create a memorial for the 75 dogs that died in a fire at Ponderosa Pet Resort earlier this month. City council voted Tuesday to direct its staff to work on a plan for a memorial in Bark Park, which is located at 151 Holly Street. The council suggested the project could both honor the pets lost and to offer some functionality or enhancement to the park. City Manager David Morgan said the city will also work with the 59 families that lost pets due to the fire to create the memorial. He said the timeline for creating the memorial would be about six months. 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. Officials did not specify the amount for the project, but the council said they hoped to raise funds for the project through community donations, rather than by solely using city funding. "I hope that in a tragedy like this that we can look and find some silver lining, that we could do something in the future to help avoid this type of unnecessary loss," Council Member Tommy Gonzalez said. "But let's keep our eye on the ball that with this memorial, it's to remind us of doing better and making sure that something like this doesn't happen again." On Sept. 18, Georgetown Fire responded to 911 calls at the facility for a fire at the Ponderosa Pet Resort. By the time firefighters arrived, which was about four and a half minutes later, the building was engulfed in smoke from the fire. None of the dogs in the building survived. At this time, the investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing. MORE ON THE STORY: 75 Dogs Killed In Fire At Ponderosa Pet Resort In Georgetown Since the fire, the community has begun rallying with a petition with more than 15,000 signatures for better prevention methods to be put in place at pet facilities to avoid a similar event in the future. According to the petition, it calls for an updated fire code that would require a smoke alarm, sprinkler system and 24/7 staffing for facilities like the Georgetown pet resort, all of which were not required at the time of the incident. Georgetown resident Carmela Stearns, who started the petition, was present at the meeting, according to KUT. "My petition is solely to bring awareness and change for owners, as well as other animals and business owners, to laws and ordinances to put preventative safety measures in place that should have already been there," Stearns said. People also demanded that a kennel permit be required by Ponderosa, which it had failed to obtain prior to the fire, KUT reports. RELATED COVERAGE: Austin Woman Raises Money For Portraits Of 75 Dogs Killed In Fire