Dog found dead off I-5 after multiple pets get loose during fire at SoDo dog daycare

SEATTLE — We’ve learned that at least one dog was killed following a fire at a doggy daycare in SoDo Monday night.

The dog’s owner, who is currently overseas, told KIRO 7 she was notified by the Washington State Department of Transportation that her dog’s remains were found near Interstate 5. She says a second dog of hers that was also staying at the daycare is still missing.

Tuesday morning, people were showing up to drop off their dog only to find out the business was closed, saying they had no idea there was a fire.

“I’m showing up to fire trucks… I live in the Bothell area and there are some facilities up there, and I’ll be reaching out seeing if they can temporarily house him,” said Laurie Truscott.

The Seattle Fire Department first posted about the fire in the SoDo neighborhood at 8:38 p.m. on Monday. Officials say all six workers were able to evacuate.

“The workers were actively evacuating many of the dogs along with themselves, as our firefighters were working to gain access to the fire,” said Seattle Fire spokesperson David Cuerpo.

They believe there were around 60 dogs in the facility.

“Our firefighters were able to release multiple dogs that were still in their kennels,” said Cuerpo.

Some of the dogs took off running. As of right now it’s unclear how many dogs have been accounted for.

“My concerns are about the animals that were here, and the employees they have a truly wonderful staff,” said Truscott.

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Fire breaks out at SoDo dog daycare The fire happened on Monday, Nov. 13, 2023 at "The Dog Resort" in Seattle's SoDo district. (KIRO 7 News)

This is the second fire for this franchise in less than a year.  Fire also burned The Dog Resort in Lake City back in February. In that incident, workers told us the fire started because of a dryer.

Several businesses nearby helped corral all 115 dogs. Truscott says she used to take her dog there.

“As soon as the Lake City fire I brought him here as an alternative… It’ll be interesting to see what the cause of this was. I hope it was accidental, I hope it wasn’t something international,” said Truscott.

KIRO 7 reached out to the owner of The Dog Resort. She wouldn’t address any direct questions, saying she is focused on dealing with the situation.

Investigators said the cause of the fire was “undetermined,” and the estimated loss is $150,000.

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