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Fire At Animal Sanctuary Kills More Than 60 Cats
Photo by melisssaf via LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
LAist supports an internet made of cats and we would much prefer to bring you news like this. However, officials believe an electrical failure is to blame for a fire that killed more than 60 cats at the Last Hope Cat Kingdom animal sanctuary in Merced County on Friday night.
Firefighters responded to the Atwater emergency about 1:00 a.m. and contained the blaze in two hours. By then, more than 60 of the nearly 140 cats on site had died. Other cats are being treated for smoke inhalation.
Renate Schmitz, the owner of the facility, says "the cats could have escaped through doors in each of the sanctuary's rooms," reports KTLA. Schmitz is planning to rebuild the four year old facility.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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