Danbury Firefighters, Dog Lovers Rescue Puppies Caught in Blaze

DANBURY, CT — Firefighters and civilians joined forces last night to rescue 86 puppies from a two-alarm pet shop fire. Their heroic efforts ensured that all 86 puppies survived the blaze.

Danbury firefighters responded to a call shortly before 9 p.m. Thursday night about a fire in the area of the Puppy Love pet store at 37 Lake Avenue Extension. Firefighters saw "heavy fire" from Kenosia Avenue, which prompted Lt. Mark Miguel to transmit a second alarm.

Deputy Fire Chief Steve Williams determined that the source of the blaze was actually a 100 by 50 foot warehouse situated behind the pet store. That became the focus of the firefighters who "went straight to work with an aggressive fire attack," according to fire officials.

The remaining firefighters, assisted by civilian dog lovers, moved swiftly to rescue the animals caught inside the store. Patrons of the adjacent restaurant broke down the pet shop door and began moving the caged dogs to safety.

A puppy triage was established at the neighboring Stanziato's Wood Fired Pizza, where the dogs were examined by the shop's veterinarian, according to Puppy Love's Facebook page.

When the smoke cleared, all 86 canines were rescued and are healthy. The entire rescue operation took about 30 minutes.

Mayor Mark Boughton was at the scene of the rescue and provided video, photos and a description of the events as they transpired, over social media. On his Facebook page, the mayor thanked everyone involved for their successful efforts:

"All dogs are safe at Puppy Love. Special thanks to all the residents and customers who entered the building to rescue the dogs before any were hurt."

Photo by Mayor Mark Boughton; Video by Richard Funaro