Multiple dogs drown after Washington D.C. pet hotel floods from storm
BALTIMORE - Multiple dogs drowned after rising flood waters burst into a Washington, D.C. pet daycare and spa following heavy rain and storms Monday afternoon.
D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly said water rushed to District Dogs, on Rhode Island Avenue, and broke through the front wall with windows, and flooded the business.
"The walls gave in and District Dogs flooded," Donnelly said. "As a result of that, we had some fatalities of some dogs."
Donnelly didn't say how many pets died, other than there were "multiple." However, more than 20 dogs were rescued.
The fire chief said the flooding waters raised more than six feet to above the middle of the front wall in a matter of minutes.
"The emotion, it's hard to watch. It's unbearable," Donnelly said. "This is losing a member of your family or being scared that you did. It's a terrible thing."
According to WUSA9, a CBS affiliate in Washington D.C., water rapidly rose under a bridge near the businesses.
Many cars were stuck in the waters and more than 20 people had to be helped out of the water.
According to WUSA9, in August of 2022, 50 dogs had to be rescued from flooding that was so severe employees couldn't leave the building.
