19 puppies rescued from Upper Thomson pet store fire

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ST VIDEO: ZAIHAN MOHAMED YUSOF

SINGAPORE - Firefighters rescued 19 puppies on Saturday morning (April 10) after a fire broke out in a pet store in Upper Thomson Road, near the planned site of the Upper Thomson MRT station.

Eyewitnesses said the puppies were carried out of the smoking store in boxes and a group of passers-by helped to hold and soothe the animals.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the fire at 197 Upper Thomson Road at about 1.15am.

The unit is occupied by Wellfond Pets. Its website lists another outlet in Tanjong Katong Road.

Firefighters made a forced entry into the premises and extinguished the blaze with one water jet.

They thanked several passers-by who had helped by taking care of the puppies outside the store while firefighting operations were ongoing.

An SCDF spokesman said 19 puppies were rescued from the store and The Straits Times understands they were unharmed.

The cause of the fire involved a dehumidifier in the store, said the SCDF. Investigations are ongoing.

ST was at the scene as SCDF personnel counted the number of puppies rescued and caught one which tried to escape.

A small crowd of onlookers had also gathered, some appealing for water for the puppies, which were of various breeds and covered in soot.

Several passers-by helped by taking care of the puppies outside the store while firefighting operations were ongoing. PHOTOS: MOHD NIZAN ANWAR
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