Pet daycare flooding kills several dogs in Washington DC; Firefighter calls staff heroes

Multiple pets drowned in a dog daycare in Washington D.C. Monday after an intense flood caused a wall to collapse.

Firefighters rescued multiple employees and 20 dogs out of the District Dogs building in northeast D.C., according to D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly. Donnelly did not clarify how many dogs died during the flood.

“The emotions, it’s hard to watch; it’s unbearable,” Donnelly said at a press conference. “This is losing a member of your family or being scared that you did.”

Pet owners frantically waited outside the facility waiting and hoping to be reunited with their dog as officials underwent rescue efforts carrying soaked animals to safety, according to local outlet WUSA9. The outlet reported no employees were hospitalized.

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Donnelly said water quickly rose 6 feet up the front of the building and rushed inside the building after a wall collapsed leading to "some fatalities for the dogs."

“I think the district dog employees were heroes,” Donnelly said.

USA TODAY has reached out to District Dogs for comment. The northeast facility is one of five District Dog facilities in Washington D.C.

Donnelly said the department will work with the district's water and other relevant authorities to further investigate the incident.

The National Weather Service placed Washington D.C. under a severe thunderstorm warning that expired Monday evening.