A fire broke out at a pet store in Arima on Monday morning, killing all the animals inside and destroying everything in its path.
Several puppies, rabbits, birds and other animals that were up for sale—together valued at thousands of dollars—all perished in the blaze that destroyed Funtastic Pets at Gunapo Street, on Monday morning.
Guardian Media was told that fire officers from the Arima Fire Station responded to fire at about 10:30 am.
Reports are the fire officers had to cut through the burglar-proofing to enter the pet shop. They were able to contain the fire from spreading, but were not able to save the animals in time.
Arima Mayor Lisa Morris-Julian, who visited the scene, described the tragic incident as “sad”.
“It was very sad. The loss of the animals and the tremendous loss for the owners,” she told Guardian Media. “Kudos to the Fire Service for ensuring no loss of human life or any other building.”
The scene was also visited by Member of Parliament for Arima, Anthony Garcia.