Community rises to aid burned shelter Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 3 2009 05:09 AM By Victor O'Brien
Killeen Daily Herald

Volunteers donated their energy, time and passion Monday to help a Killeen animal shelter recover from a fire that killed 99 cats and 12 dogs Sunday.

Community supporters descended upon the Centex Humane Society's Second Chance Animial Shelter Monday to help the shelter rebound from the deadly fire. The shelter is expected to remain closed for at least two weeks while volunteers clean and law enforcement agencies investigate.

Paperwork adoptions are expected to begin as soon as the shelter is cleaned.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Killeen Fire Marshal James Chism said Monday. Investigators believe the fire started near a kitchen area of a meeting room near the building's entrance.

The fire killed mostly smaller animals housed near the entrance. Only one dog and two cats in the front of the building survived the fire.

A resilient 2-year-old Pomeranian, Shirley, was the only dog to survive. Shirley became a source of inspiration for the shelter.

Shirley survived a near-death experience two weeks ago when a car hit her. Shirley darted into the street after she escaped from a volunteer during a walk.

"This dog was meant to live. After getting hit by a car and then a fire, she was meant to live," said Holly Gora, the shelter's assistant manager.

Shirley, like most of the survivors, were transported to foster care at other shelters or with residents, Gora said.

The Fort Hood Stray Facility took in 12 cats suffering from pre-existing upper respiratory problems that were worsened by the smoke, said Staff Sgt. Teresa Sipes of the Fort Hood Stray Facility. The cats, which range from 12 weeks old to 4 years old, will be cared for until they can be adopted or returned to the shelter.

More than 60 volunteers from Fort Hood and local churches crowded the shelter Monday. Many volunteers covered their faces with masks to avoid the smell of smoke that lingered in the hallways.

Volunteers scrubbed white walls that were colored black by soot Sunday. By the afternoon, the animal rooms, the hospital and the cages were cleaned and disinfected.

Outside the shelter, volunteers sorted and stacked 20-pound bags of dog food donated from locals. Other volunteers walked the dogs, freeing the staff to focus on cleanup.

The cleanup began Sunday when almost 100 people responded as part of a community-wide outpouring. The donations of food and supplies overwhelmed the shelter, exceeding storage capacity.

"We had such an abundance of help yesterday with everybody wanting to help. It's a community coming forward to help us," Gora said.

After receiving the material donations, the shelter's most pressing need is money and gifts card to pay for operating costs and essentials, Gora said. Operating costs run between $15,000 and $20,000 monthly.

The fire evoked tears and shock from staff members, including Dana Ingram, a kennel technician. Ingram hasn't slept since the fire. She ate for the first time Monday.

Ingram nurtured many of the small animals that died.

"They are like your kids after awhile," Ingram said. "I know all the ones that passed away. It was very hard."

The meeting room where the fire started remained off-limits except for cleaning Monday. The shelter awaits an investigation by fire department and insurance officials.

Stacie Sherva, Killeen animal control supervisor, toured the facility Monday to see how she could help. The city's animal control officers were among the first responders. A pair of them rushed to save as many animals as they could, Sherva said.

"We're doing what we can. They are our friends," Sherva said.

The fire alarmed Sherva so much that she has requested estimates for fire alarms at the city shelter to help prevent a similar tragedy from happening.

The fire started around 1:30 a.m. Sunday. A passing driver reported the fire, which firefighters extinguished soon after the initial call.

No animals were burned. Instead, the fire's smoke killed all the animals. Smoke from the flames traveled from the meeting room near the entrance to other rooms where kittens and puppies stayed, causing them to inhale fatal doses of smoke.

Contact Victor O'Brien at vobrien@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7468.

How to help the shelter

Donations may be brought directly to the shelter at 5501 S. Clear Creek Road, Killeen, TX 76549.

To speak to a person about donating or volunteering, contact volunteer president George Grammas at (254) 458-3583 or ggrammas@hot.rr.com.

What's needed most?

1. Money to pay for electricity, cleaning costs and animal medicine

2. Gifts cards to hardware and pet stores to purchase necessities

3. Food

4. Litter

5. Office and cleaning supplies

Adopting animals

The Fort Hood Stray Facility is caring for several rescued cats. Once the cats are nursed back to health, the cats will be eligible for adoption. The shelter is open from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is closed from noon to 12:30 p.m. It is located at 80th Street and Engineer Drive, Building 4902. Call (254) 287-4675 for more information. Or contact George Grammas at (254) 458-3583 or ggrammas@hot.rr.com.