Orange County

‘They’re like your children’: 19 dogs dead following Orange County fire at breeder’s home, officials say

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Fire officials said 19 dogs died early Thursday morning after flames ripped through the home of a Labradoodle breeder in Orange County.

Officials with Orange County Fire Rescue responded to the home in the 3400 block of Bay Lake Road around 6 a.m. and said 25 to 30 dogs in total were pulled from the home. Six dogs were revived through CPR and nine puppies were rescued, according to fire officials.

There were no other injuries in the home, according to fire officials.

“I just freaked out,” the homeowner, Marcia Mobley, told Channel 9 after seeing the flames and thinking of her dogs. “They’re like your children," she said after finding out firefighters rescued a 16-year-old dog.

Officials believe the fire may have started due to an issue with the air handler, which is part of the home’s HVAC system.

Christopher Boyce, WFTV.com

Christopher Boyce joined WFTV in January of 2019.