A flash flood reached District Dogs Northeast's doors on the evening of August 14 due to severe storms and copious rain, as reported by CNN.
According to DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly, the facility housing the dog daycare experienced brown floodwaters that surged along the glass doors and windows until its walls gave way and the water rushed in, trapping both people and animals. He claimed that twenty of the dogs were subsequently saved.
It took about 20 minutes before emergency responders arrived to begin the rescue effort, according to a schedule published on Monday by the DC 911 call center and fire officials. This revelation infuriated many dog owners.
According to a dispatch call to a first responder that CNN affiliate WJLA obtained, a dispatcher mistakenly labeled the incident as a "water leak." According to WJLA, ten canines perished in the floodwaters, including Maple, Malee, and Zeni.
The misunderstanding regarding the origin of the calls and the performance of the call takers, according to Heather McGaffin, acting director of the Office of Unified Communications, which manages DC's 911 call center,
Read also: Climate Change May Have Caused Dogs To Evolve From Cat-Like Creatures Into Modern Wolves
Devastated Dog Owners
According to their owners, Maple, Malee, and Zeni didn't stand a chance when six feet of floodwaters flooded into their dog daycare in Washington, DC, last week, locking some of the pups in cages as the waters rose.
That day, Colleen Costello's 1.5-year-old German shepherd mix, Maple, was lost. She is asking officials for information while simultaneously lamenting the tragic loss of her dog.
Costello is a member of a neutral body made up of elected community representatives known as the Advisory Community Commissioner in Washington, DC.
Maple had frequented District Dogs for boarding as well as daycare. On the Sunday before her family's trip, Costello dropped off her dog.
She claims that as soon as she began to see news reports and social media posts about the flooding, she realized something was wrong. Inquiring about her dog at the facility after reaching out to friends, Costello sent her buddy there, but Maple wasn't there.
Costello reported that evening that the daycare sent her an email indicating that Maple had not survived.
Connor McCarty and Luer Yin experienced the same tragedy. Their 2-year-old Corgi was the object of the couple's affection. She was ideal in our perspective, McCarty stated.
They were there for a family reunion, according to McCarty, and it was their only vacation this year. They noticed a missed call a few days into the trip and subsequently got a text from District Dogs requesting them to call back.
The two initially believed Zeni didn't enjoy her food. But what they discovered later over the phone was "unreal," according to Yin.
There was little information given, however, McCarty said that the daycare's proprietor, Jacob Hensley, informed them that "Your dog passed away" at the beginning of the conversation.
Hensley said last week that when the water crashed through the glass, his staff had to transfer close to 50 dogs.
According to a statement on August 15, District Dogs claimed that the water rose within minutes and progressed from obstructing the storefront to shattering the glass.
Related article: Canine Flu Symptoms, Treatment, and More: Experts Remind Dog Owners to Get Pets Vaccinated Now
