Allison Scarborough, a 39-year-old Queen Anne resident, decided to take a celebration trip to Japan this week after being cured of melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer. Four days into her trip, she learned her two dogs escaped the doggy day care they were boarded at after it caught fire, and one of them was run over and killed.
The fire at The Dog Resort in Seattle’s Sodo neighborhood on Monday night has left Scarborough, who is stuck thousands of miles away, hoping someone will find her dog Remi safe and sound. Her other dog, Georgie, escaped from the building and was hit by a vehicle on Interstate 5.
As Seattle Fire Department crews battled the fire in the two-story building on South Industrial Way, several dogs got loose. Backup was called in to help corral them, but two dogs were still missing Tuesday.
Scarborough said she rescued Georgie from Taiwan, where she was almost run over in traffic as a stray puppy. Georgie was 5 years old when she died.
“[Georgie] was my soul sister,” Scarborough said. “I can’t think of a more perfect dog than Georgie. She just always was perfect for me, a super active, beautiful brindle.”
On Monday night, Scarborough said she saw on Instagram that The Dog Resort was on fire. Moments later, she got a call from the Washington State Department of Transportation telling her they had picked up Georgie’s body off the freeway. She quickly realized Remi was also missing.
Scarborough said she’s boarded her two dogs several times at The Dog Resort, and they’ve always come back happy and healthy.
Last Scarborough heard, Remi was still in the Sodo area, according to someone who spotted her.
Another dog is also still missing. North, a German shepherd border collie mix, weighs about 80 pounds and wears a red collar. Anyone who sees North is asked to contact Rachel Quinn at sassrmq@gmail.com.
In February, The Dog Resort’s location on Lake City Way caught fire. The building was evacuated without any people hurt or dogs dying. That fire caused more than $300,000 in damage. The Washington Post reported that firefighters found that fire was accidental and broke out in a dryer at the facility, probably because of excessive lint.
About 20 people gathered that night to help transport displaced dogs and search for those who remained on the loose, said Elise Vincentini, owner of Downtown Dog Lounge, who stayed at the scene until 3 a.m. Tuesday. People helped take 43 dogs to Vincentini’s South Lake Union day care, which is unaffiliated with The Dog Resort.
Several dogs had minor injuries from the fire.
Vincentini said workers from Downtown Dog Lounge are trying to reunite pets and their owners, but many, like Scarborough, are traveling globally.
Scarborough said her veterinarian, the Queen Anne Animal Clinic, took Georgie’s body and cremated her.
“It’s devastating for me not to be there, to send her off with love, but they’re a really good vet so at least she has that,” Scarborough said.
She has been trying to figure out how much it would cost to end her trip in Japan early. Without close family in the area, Scarborough said she’s been relying on the “really wonderful volunteers” from Facebook who have been looking for Remi. Scarborough said she has spoken with the owner of The Dog Resort since learning of Remi’s disappearance and Georgie’s death.
When the fire happened at the Lake City Way location in February, Scarborough said she trusted it was a “freak thing.” Now, she feels differently.
“It didn’t appear they’ve learned anything from evacuation practices … It sounds like dogs were just let out in the wild,” Scarborough said. “I don’t understand how lessons learned weren’t implemented from the Lake City incident.”
Scarborough asked anyone who sees Remi, a 25-pound mixed breed, to contact her at ascarbor@gmail.com. Remi is skittish, but food-motivated, so it may be a good idea to crinkle treats in her direction.
Scarborough had advice for pet owners: “Love your pets, be kind to them. Spend time with them. They’re really special.”
Seattle Times reporter Vonnai Phair contributed to this story.
#Dogs #reunited #owners #missing #Sodo #fire