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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowAn estimated 100 animals died when a fire on Monday night filled an Indianapolis pet store with thick smoke and deadly gases, killing dozens of animals in their cages, fire officials said.
Firefighters were called about 9 p.m. to Uncle Bills Pet Center at 4829 W. 38th St., but it took them an hour to extinguish the fire due to the difficulty of accessing the building’s back roof area.
After dousing flames that had filled the building with thick, black smoke, crews discovered “what can only be described as a horrible tragedy” inside, with about 40 dogs, 25 parakeets, rabbits and other animals dead from smoke inhalation, Battalion Chief Rita Reith said in a news release.
“The animals were still in their respective cages and simply succumbed to the deadly gases produced by the smoke,” Reith wrote.
Multiple reptiles, fish, an office cat and “a resilient guinea pig” that survived the fire were removed from the building and were being evaluated by pet store staff.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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This is why I hate pet stores and zoos… they are all animal prisons!
UGH
Why was the back roof not accessible to the FD?
Look outside…..
I’m not a fan of Uncle Kills. Selling animals in stores for profit is a horrible and outdated practice. I wish people would stop patronizing this type of store. What a horrible way to die.
The same type of tragedy can occur at shelters and rescue agencies.
Because animals in shelters and pounds can be adopted for free?
I used to work in rescue organizations and have seen others that take in many of these discarded animals after their owners tire of them. Nobody stops to think of what happens to these animals and where they end up. The cages are restocked with plenty more while yes their are many in shelters being euthanized. No Kill is admirable, but almost impossible for some communities like Indy. Russell of course a fire can happen anywhere and the fire had zero to do with my comments, but reminded me how much I despise these places that sell animals out of a storefront like groceries.