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FAIRFIELD, New Jersey (WABC) — Nearly 50 dogs were rescued from dangerous smoke conditions at a boarding facility in Fairfield.
Officials say that K9 Resorts was evacuated just after 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. The pet daycare and boarding facility is one of many businesses in the Pio Costa Industrial Complex.
Their monitoring systems were triggered by smoke conditions coming from a neighboring retail store.
Fairfield Officer Ryan Cleary was one of the four officers that were first to arrive — breaking into the pet daycare to get to the animals.
"All we were thinking was how many dogs are inside and how are we going to get them out back safely to their owners," Cleary said.
"A lot of the dogs appear calm, but we did have to settle them down to get them where they needed to go safely," said Fairfield Police Department PIO Stacy Chiarolanza said.
Police didn't have to shoulder the task alone, the fire department, K9 Resorts workers and several others jumped in on the rescue chain.
Graham Clarke and his wife had just closed their nearby shop for the night.
"It was kind of exciting, and the dogs were all very well-behaved for dogs that had just been pulled out of a smoke-filled building," said Fairfield resident Graham Clarke said.
Law enforcement officials were able to help all 46 dogs inside the facility by getting them to safety.
The Humane Society jumped in to help move the dogs to another K9 Resorts location to be checked by veterinarian professionals.
A couple of the older dogs had to get a little bit more attention because of all the smoke they took in, but they will be just fine.
"K9 Resorts is thankful for the quick action of the police officers, firefighters, humane society team members, municipal employees, and veterinarians who came together and joined the K9 Resorts team to keep our guests safe," the boarding facility said.
Authorities believe a fire started near MR Convenience and Smoke Shop, as that business had the heaviest fire damage. The Eatery Care Kitchen, Bella Art Tattoo, and the K9 Resorts Hotel all experienced smoke damage.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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