A suburban pet shop caught fire overnight, but the quick actions of a Good Samaritan saved nearly a dozen animals.
Eight dogs, two cats and two birds were rescued from a fire that killed four puppies and their mother early Thursday at a pet-grooming store in southwest suburban Romeoville, according to NBC5.
A passerby who was visiting a nearby 7-Eleven convenient store noticed smoke coming from the back of Suzette’s Dog Grooming and called 911 about midnight, according to Romeoville Fire Dept. Battalion Chief Robert Michalec.
Responding crews saw light smoke from the back of the building and forced their way inside and began to search for the fire, which appeared to have started in a storage or bathroom in the one-story building, Michalec said.
Four puppies and their mother in the room where the fire started perished. Firefighters rescued eight other dogs, two cats and some birds in a cage.
The fire was fully controlled well within a half an hour and no people were injured, Michalec said.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation, but is not considered suspicious, Michalec said.