EmailDozens of dogs have been killed after a fire, thought to have caused by an arsonist, swept through Manchester dogs' home on Thursday night. The blaze has badly damaged the facility, which dates back to 1893 and has rehoused about a million dogs since it was opened. Police said they had arrested a 14-year-old male on suspicion of arson and were questioning him about the incident.
The fire began in the medical wing of the facility, which can house about 200 dogs. At least 43 dogs were killed in the fire, while about 150 were rescued.
Two locals, Jason Dyer, 41, and his nephew Dean Rostock, 25, were being hailed as heroes after rescuing about 20 dogs from the flames. They jumped over the fence and kicked open kennel doors after hearing dogs barking in panic.
"This place is part of our childhoods. We both have dogs and love dogs – of course we are going to run in there. We just wanted to make sure as many as possible would be okay," Dyer told the Manchester Evening News.
Superintendent Marcus Noden of Greater Manchester Police said officers were working with fire crews to determine how the fire occurred. "As a dog owner myself, I understand that many people will feel angry and upset about what has happened, but I would ask that they let the police carry out their investigations and not take matters into their own hands," he said.
Hundreds of people have travelled to the home in the Harpurhey area to donate blankets, leads and crates and offering to rehouse the surviving dogs. However, the area became so congested that police asked that people to stay away. The RSPCA was removing dogs from the scene and attempting to clear the area.
Dean Goulsbra, 39, who has adopted two dogs from the home, went to donate bedding and blankets. "It's such a dreadful thing to have happened, and you can see from the number of people who've turned out what it means to the community," he said.
Twenty firefighters and six engines attended the fire, which broke out at about 7pm. More than £33,000 has already been donated to a Just Giving page set up soon after the fire struck.
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