A fire at a home in Desert Hot Springs killed seven puppies and three cats, according to The Press Enterprise. Authorities say they have cited the owner of the home repeatedly for “failing to have a proper kennel.”
The fire occurred about 2:20 p.m. on Saturday at the home, on Hacienda Avenue, in Desert Hot Springs. The fire was quickly put out by firefighters and no humans were injured. Eleven dogs survived the fire and were taken by Animal Control to the Coachella Valley Animal Campus, reports KESQ. Seven puppies and 3 cats did not survive the blaze.
“This is a tragedy, this didn’t have to happen,” retired veterinarian and Desert Hot Springs resident Paula Terifi told KMIR. “This was preventable, this should have never happened.”
Terifi told the TV station that the owner of the home, identified only as “Blaze”, had bee running an illegal animal rescue out of the home which had been in violation of numerous safety rules for several months.
“The condition of the dogs, they were in crates all day and kept inside because he was afraid to let them out on his yard because he didn’t want people to know how many dogs he had,” Terifi said.
“Blaze”, who claims to operate “Hooks Home Bound Rescue” denies those claims.
Animal Control officials confirm they have visited the property at least 40 times in the last 18 months – citing “Blaze” several times because of the number of animals on the property.
