A house fire broke out in Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday, killing an 86-year-old woman and approximately 28 dogs.
Firefighters responded to a house fire at around 1:00 p.m. and removed an elderly woman and nine dogs from the residence, 12 News reported. The woman, whose name has not been released, was treated at the scene and transported to a local hospital in critical condition, according to the outlet. (RELATED: REPORT: Mother Stabs Family Dogs To Stop Them From Mauling 1-Year-Old Daughter)
She succumbed to her injuries shortly after arriving at the hospital.
UPDATE: The 86-year-old woman along with multiple dogs died following a north Phoenix house fire on Saturday evening, officials say. https://t.co/yZ3OXIzkyV
— 12 News (@12News) October 24, 2022
As for the dogs, first responders discovered some 37 in the house, some of them in cages, CBS 5 reported. The nine rescued toy poodles were taken in by Arizona Humane Society, which described them as underweight, urine-soaked, and tick-ridden due to the “hoard-like conditions” in which they were kept, according to the outlet.
The elderly woman was charged with injurious animal hoarding in July.
Neighbors told 12News the 86-year-old bred dogs as a source of income. One neighbor, Ed Persival, told reporters he noticed smoke coming from the house and tried to help.
“I just shot out and started yanking my garden hose, trying to do what I can,” he told 12News reporters. “Because I know there was an elderly lady there and there were several puppies that she breeds and makes an income of.” (RELATED: Woman Allegedly Wants To Set Fire To Ex’s House, Ends Up Burning Wrong One)
As of Monday morning, the Humane Society had euthanized one of the dogs due to smoke inhalation and respiratory distress, and two others have a “guarded prognosis,” according to CBS5. The surviving dogs are reportedly between the ages of 11 weeks and 12 years old.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.