More than 40 dogs die in a fire at an animal shelter in New York state

Dozens of dogs have died after an animal shelter caught fire in upstate New York.

Rescue crews were called to the No Dogs Left Behind animal shelter in Canton, New York, after a passerby saw flames. The cantonal fire brigade and other emergency services arrived at the scene of the accident shortly after 1 a.m

Firefighters on scene “encountered heavy fire in the kennel building,” the fire department said in a statement. Photos released by the fire department show a house-like building engulfed in flames with heavy smoke visible in the background.

There were more than 40 animals at the shelter at the time, the Associated Press reported. The animal shelter announced on Facebook that all of the dogs died in the fire.

“Each dog was a member of our family,” the shelter said. “Tragically, they are victims again. We have no words to express our grief.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Staff slept at the site overnight, the shelter said on social media, but no injuries were reported among civilians or firefighters, according to the fire department.

Canton is a small town of about 7,000 people near the New York-Canada border.