An estimated 20 to 30 cats were killed in a fire at the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando late Wednesday in what the shelter’s executive director called his “worst nightmare.”
The blaze, reported to Orange County Fire Rescue at 10:21 p.m., heavily damaged the 5,000-square-foot building, located at 2727 Conroy Road near the Mall at Millenia. “Flames [were] through the roof” of the shelter, the agency said on Twitter.
Steve Bardy, executive director of the nonprofit organization, said rescuers arrived in time to safely evacuate all 25 dogs, who were in an area farther from the origin of the fire.
“It appears the fire started in the front building by the clinic, which made it more difficult for fire rescue to go into the adjacent cat room,” Bardy told reporters on the scene, his voice breaking at times.
“If you run a shelter, this is literally your worst nightmare — to see your building on fire and know that there are animals in there that you’re charged to care for and you can’t go in,” he said.
He praised a quick response from Orange County firefighters and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, which helped with evacuations.
“I’m grateful that the firefighters have, you know, put their lives at risk to … help save as many as they could,” he said. “I’m eternally grateful for that.”
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