Heartbreaking Day at Dallas Pet Store: Hundreds of Animals Lost

Tragedy hit Texas in a major way on Friday, and it was in a way you wouldn't necessarily think of. With all the tragedies that have happened recently in New Orleans and Las Vegas, this isn't one that would be forefront for many.

However, it was a major tragedy that involved a lot of loss of life that kind of got swept under the rug a bit due to the other events the past week.

In Dallas, there was a two-alarm fire that ignited at a shop located in Plaza Latina Bazaar. The blaze took roughly two hours to extinguish and between 40-45 firefighters to get it under control and put out.

The fire itself left severe structural damage in its wake, including a partial roof collapse, and the fire has impacted the entire plaza where more than 50 shops call it home. The entire shopping center had to shut down, and remained that way for the unforeseen future.

The shop that caught fire? It was a pet shop.

The three workers inside the building when the blaze started were able to get out safely. Sadly, 579 animals that were inside the shop did not make it out. That is the number of dead animals that were removed from the shop once the fire was safely put out.

According to Dallas Animal Services, most of the animals removed were birds, but there were also two dogs, two cats, some chickens and hamsters also removed from the scene.

Such a sad tragedy, and our thoughts go out to those involved along with all the animals that lost their lives.