CANTON, NY — More than 40 dogs died Thursday when a fire ripped through the kennels of a rescue organization in upstate New York, authorities said.
The fire at Maple Ridge Kennels’ No Dogs Left Behind building in Canton was reported around 1 a.m. by a person who saw the flames while walking past the property, fire officials said. Flames engulfed the structure, killing the animals before firefighters could rescue them, the Canton Fire Department said in a Facebook post.
No Dogs Left Behind said its members were heartbroken.
“Every dog was a member of our family,” the group said in a social media post. “Tragically, they are victims again. We have no words to express our sorrow.”
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear and was under investigation by St. Lawrence County officials. Authorities said no firefighters or other people were injured.
The house-like building included kennels inside and a play area outside. No Dogs Left Behind has a video on its website that also shows dogs running around the lawns with trails on the large property.