Owners of a kennel that was burned last week and killed four dogs, injured four other dogs and hurt three people are trying raise $15,000 for the vet bills for seven dogs and damages to the facility.
A 2-acre brush fire sparked by a muffler on nearby freeway burned the Rescue Oasis dog kennel in Palmdale which housed 44 dogs on Wednesday, kennel workers said.
They set up a GoFundMe page to seek donations for vet bills for the four dogs still in critical condition and food, blankets, toy, collars, leashes, and dog dishes.
Kathleen Schroeder, the owner of the kennel, said some of the money would be set aside for a dog named Cora who is at a vet in Ventura.
"The three dogs in the cages engulfed in flames made it out, but in his confusion, Yogi, an older Rottweiler mix, ran behind his cage and directly into the fire. There was no way to save him and he perished," Schroeder said.
Four people were treated with burn injuries and one with a dog bite.
Schroeder said she was supposed to go on vacation the day of the fire.
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"We slept a little late Wednesday morning and were awoken around 9:30 a.m. by our employees beating on our front door screaming, 'Fire!'" she said.
After the fire, Schroeder said she wants to leave the place, as it stopped being her happy place.
"I was in shock at the time, so I'm thinking a bit more clearly now. We don't get rich at this business. We pay our bills, support a couple missionaries through our church, and make weekly payroll. That's all we've wanted," she added.
Fire officials are investigating the cause.
