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On Thursday night, over 50 homeless dogs were killed in a suspected arson attack at the Manchester Dogs’ Home in Harpurhey, Manchester.
Public quick on scene
Police have since arrested a fifteen year old boy suspected of deliberately starting the fire, the Telegraph says.
According to the Daily Mail, firefighters were called to the scene at around 7pm last night after neighbours reported dogs yelping. Over thirty firefighters tackled the blaze and managed to rescue at least 150 dogs, who were then transported to a sister animal home in Cheshire. The exact numbers of deceased and injured animals are not yet known.
The public were quick on the scene, with members of the public running into the burning shelter to rescue the dogs. Local men Dean Rostock and Jason Dyer reportedly kicked open cages, rescuing twenty dogs before putting leashes on them and bringing them to safety.
Hundreds of others gathered outside the destroyed home with blankets, carriers and other supplies, ready to help comfort and the dogs. By this morning, almost £500 000 had been donated by over 20 000 members of public, via three different donation pages.
The photo below, courtesy of Twitter, shows members of public arriving on the scene with black bags filled with blankets and other supplies.
The story has gone viral on social media, with #ManchesterDogsHome trending on Twitter in the U.K. People from all over the world, clearly distressed by the event, posted photos and expressed both outrage and sadness over the suspected arson. Many members of the public are showing their support for the Manchester Dogs' Home, by posting photos of their previously rescued pets, encouraging others to donate money:
Image courtesy of Kim Glynn on Twitter.
To donate to the Manchester Dogs' Shelter, go to JustGiving now.
