22-09-2014, 10:57 AM
1
Another tragedy
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti..._campaign=149021 dogs and puppies that were locked in cages have died after massive blaze at breeder's kennels
A fire killed 21 dogs after it swept through locked cages at the home of a prize-winning breeder while she was at the supermarket.
Barely a week after more than 50 animals died in a blaze at Manchester Dogs’ Home, a second tragedy struck a Staffordshire bull terrier owner.
Amanda Hart and her husband Steve had gone to Tesco on Saturday evening, leaving the dogs – among them show champions – locked in cages.
The fire is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault in the kitchen of her wooden bungalow in Hornsea, East Yorkshire.
Her son Ryan, 28, who lives on a caravan on the property, tried to smash his way in but was held back by firemen to stop him risking his life to save the dogs.
By the time the flames were extinguished, 21 dogs are thought to have died, and the couple’s home was almost completely destroyed.
Mr Hart, 53, said: ‘We had got the dogs in about 7pm, I dropped them all in a treat and went to Tesco. I looked across and could see flames as high as you could imagine.
‘Ryan said there was a dog right by the door and he could not even get that one out. It was just full of thick, dense smoke and he had to come out.’
He added: ‘Within 20 minutes of leaving the house everything was destroyed. I had 20 dogs – now I have 20 dead pets to bury.’
Shocked fellow breeders said Mrs Hart, 48, had always been very well-regarded within Staffordshire bull terrier breeding circles.
Clare Lee, president of the Northern Counties Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club, of which Mrs Hart was show secretary, said: ‘She was totally devoted to her dogs, this is absolutely devastating for her.
‘As well as her stud dogs, she had older animals too – unlike some breeders who would pass them on when they were too old, she was too attached to part with them.’
And she defended the breeder’s decision to keep them in locked cages, saying: ‘Normally they’d get on fine, but because there was a risk some of them might start fighting, the responsible thing was to segregate them.
‘It’s particularly tragic that there should have been a fire while no one was in the house – it’s something nobody could have foreseen.’
Several fundraising appeals were quickly set up, with one on Facebook receiving £1,000 from another Staffordshire bull terrier club.
A message on the Facebook page read: ‘She has lost everything and as you can imagine her world has been taken from her.
‘I feel at this moment in time we as friends and fellow Stafford lovers need to band together as one to help one of our own who has lost everything rebuild her life again and survive this tragedy.’
Nine days earlier, 53 dogs died following suspected arson in Manchester, with well-wishers pledging more than £1.2million within 48 hours to help the dogs home. A 15-year-old boy arrested on suspicion of starting the blaze was later released on bail.
how horrible, poor dogs. The owner must be devastated.
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