Fire at upstate New York animal shelter kills more than 40 dogs

Dozens of dogs have died after a shelter in upstate New York caught fire.

Emergency responders were called to the No Dogs Left Behind animal shelter in Canton, New York, after a passerby saw flames. The Canton Fire Department and other responders arrived on the scene shortly after 1 a.m. 

Firefighters on the scene were “met with heavy fire in the kennel building,” the fire department said in a statement. Photos shared by the fire department show a house-like structure engulfed in flames, with heavy smoke visible in the background. 

There were more than 40 animals in the shelter at the time, the Associated Press reported. The shelter said on Facebook that all of the dogs perished in the blaze. 

“Each dog was a member of our family,” the shelter said. “Tragically, they are victims once again. We have no words to express our grief.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Overnight staff were asleep at the site, the shelter said on social media, but no injuries were reported among civilians or firefighters, according to the fire department. 

Canton is a small town of about 7,000 near the border of New York and Canada.