5 Dogs Die In Valrico House Fire

VALRICO, FL — As Hillsborough County Fire Rescue officials continue to investigate a Tuesday evening residential fire at a Valrico pet resort, the owner of five dogs is mourning their loss.

According to fire rescue, a 911 came in from a home in the 500 block of St. Cloud Avenue North around 8:30 p.m. Aug. 8. When crews responded to the scene, they found flames and smoke shooting from the house. An “aggressive interior attack” was waged, which paid off with the blaze being brought under control within 30 minutes, the agency reported.

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While searching the home, crews found five deceased dogs, fire rescue spokesman Corey Dierdorff wrote in an email to media.

The property belongs to the owner of Almost Home Pet Resort. The home where the blaze occurred is her personal residence, Betsy Hicka told the Tampa Bay Times. The resort itself was not affected by the blaze.

The dogs have been identified as Hicka’s own pets – three standard poodles, a Shih Tzu-Yorkie mix, and a toy poodle.

Hicka told the Times she pulled one dog out, but could not access the property to save the rest.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. No further information is being released at this time.

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