HALIFAX, Mass. (WHDH) – Several dogs died in a house fire on New Years Day, kept in an unlicensed kennel in the basement.
Seven of the dogs perished in the blaze. Five are still not accounted for. In total, there were 19 dogs in the basement.
The man who kept the kennel was able to save about seven of them. He did sustain some injuries during the rescue.
Police say that man runs K-9 Coaching Inc. out of Cohasset.
“He had moved from his business location to his parents’ house and they were clients’ dogs…from what we understand,” said Police Chief Edward Broderick.
Police have not been able to identify the owners of any of the dogs, including those who died.
The man was charged with not having a kennel license, which is required in Halifax when you have that many dogs. He'll pay a $50 fine but won't face any criminal charges.
The three other people in the home at the time of the fire made it out okay.