The deaths of several dogs at a daycare center during a flash flood was an “entirely preventable tragedy”, a grief-stricken pet owner has said.
Ten animals were killed when flood water rushed into District Dogs in the northeast of Washington DC on Monday – the second time in a year.
Water rose two meters (six feet) up the front of the building before a wall collapsed and water rushed inside, NBC Washington said.
Heavy rain flooded the street and rose along huge glass windows until they gave way.
Firefighters had to break through drywall to let water out of the building and rescue seven employees and 20 dogs, but despite the efforts of emergency responders and staff, 10 dogs lost their lives.
Dog owner Jonathan Garrow, who lost his dog, called what happened “an entirely preventable tragedy”.
He said he called the Humane Rescue Alliance but was not allowed to see his dog’s remains.
Fighting back tears, he said he was told his pet was “really injured” and that he believed his dog and some of the other dogs, if not all of them, “were in cages when this happened and that she died alone and drowning in a cage”.
One owner, who did not give her name, said the business owner “came up to me and told me that they had already removed all the ones that survived, and that the ones that were in the rooms were dead”.
