Charlestown Fire - How To Help Local Pet Boarding Business and Family Who Lost Everything

It's with a heavy heart that a I say that a local dog walker and boarding business is in the worst imaginable position.

On Saturday, a house-fire tore through a Charlestown home, killing 4 dogs and 2 cats. Many of these pets were boarding with the family at the time of the fire.

Many of my friends board and walk pets professionally for owners who are out of town or work long hours. These pets become a part of each family who spends extended time with them - the family who loves the pets, and the families who care for the pets when the family is away.

Elizabeth, her husband, her two children, and the other adults who lived in the building were not harmed during Saturday's fire. However, they lost everything. None of the pets survived and a firefighter was injured at the scene.

My dear friend, Michelle told me that she saw them bring out the pets, and place them under a white sheet. The firefighters did try CPR at the scene, but they couldn't do anything to save the family pets or the pets boarding at MonumenTails.

Charlestown is such a tight knit community. The pet community, specifically, is a tight knit community. If you don't believe me, look at the GoFundMe page for Elizabeth's family. The $5,000 donation ceiling was shattered just hours after posting about the family. We don't live in Charlestown, but every time someone in that community needs help, people spring into action and it's absolutely amazing.

I wrote this piece several years ago, and some of the links don't work anymore - but there is still good information specifically about pets and fires; how to give your pet the best chance of getting out; why a cop or a firefighter might tell you to step away, or brush you aside while they assess what's happening on scene; and to make clear that everyone is trying to help on a chaotic, horrifying, scary scene. The best thing you can do is be prepared, and understand why certain protocols are taken at the scene of an active fire.

My heart is heavy and sad for everyone involved. If you wish to help, Durty Harry's is taking donations for the family, their two kids (ages 2 and 4) and the GoFundMe page is open to people who wish to help.