Above: Sandy's townhouse engulfed in flames.
Early Monday morning, February 8th, at about 1 am, Tammy, one of
our overnight staff discovered "Sandy's Townhouse" was on fire. Thank
God we have always had on-call night staff who monitor any sick animals
overnight plus ensure the facility is secure; and
thank goodness Tammy, who was on duty Sunday night, was on her toes.
She smelled smoke and went to investigate the source, found smoke coming
from Sandy's townhouse, and upon going inside saw that the wall was on
fire. Tammy called Lisa, the Executive Director,
and then both Tammy and Lisa called the fire department. Tammy located a
fire extinguisher and got the three dogs out to safety, but the fire
was beyond an extinguisher. Lisa also called one of our staff, Grace,
who lives the closest to the sanctuary, and
even though she had already worked a long day, she came in to help and
support Tammy. Together they got the dogs moved so they were indoors and
warm as it was well below zero.
The fire department responded with 8 trucks and it was soon a complete madhouse out there with dogs barking and the firemen trying to get the fire under control and prevent it from spreading. We had some frightening moments as they couldn't get the hoses working at first because it was so cold.
PART TWO
We want to give heartfelt thanks to all of our donors who
so generously provided support to Home for Life® in the aftermath of the
tragic fire in February. Although the townhouse
which burned is a total loss, we are so thankful
that all 3 dogs who lived there were saved and that the fire didn't
spread--this was due to the heroic efforts of our courageous overnight
staff person Tammy and the extraordinary effort of the volunteer fire
department who responded within minutes of receiving
the call for help--8 trucks strong--and in the middle of the night in
subzero weather. We had many harrowing moments that night including when
the firemen couldn't get the hoses to work because it was so
cold--minus 23 below! But in the end, everyone was safe
despite the frightening, close call. 
STAR PRAIRIE - Recent subzero temperature taxed quite a few local heating systems, leaving many to rely on woodstoves, extra layers and electric space heaters to keep warm, which appears to be behind a fire that nearly rolled through the Home For Life Animal Sanctuary in southern Polk County on Monday, Feb. 8.
The shelter has been at that location for over 20 years, housing approximately 200 animals, fairly evenly split between cats and dogs. Many of the animals are special needs - disabled, elderly or stricken with other health or mental issues.
According to the report, it was minus 23 degrees and headed for a low of minus 26 at around 1 a.m. at the vast array of buildings that make up the animal sanctuary, when the smell crept in.
"It was during 'quiet time,' midnight to 2 a.m. is usually the slowest time of the night," stated Tammy Doughty, the animal specialist who was midway through her 12-hour shift after cleaning, feeding and medicating some of the animals. Doughty noticed a weird, out-of-place odor in the main building.
"It smelled like a woodstove, but we don't burn wood ... and we're inside," Doughty recalled. Home for Life houses its variety of animals across 40 acres, in three main buildings and 16 "townhouses," which are a variety of small, insulated and heated sheds with individual pens for the animals, depending on each one's size and needs.
The arctic cold woke up her nose even more outside, and after getting a coat on and stumbling into the dark, with only a headlamp, she followed the acrid odor to a neighboring outbuilding for several dogs, nicknamed "Sandy's Townhouse," and she quickly saw that it was the source, with a bizarre glow coming from inside.
"It was mesmerizing ... the space heater and the (electrical) cord were glowing bright, and the color of lava," she said stoically. "The cord almost looked liquid! It was the most bizarre thing, even through the smoke."
She immediately fought through the smoke and attempted to wrangle out the three dogs who "lived" in the building. Doughty grabbed the closest dog, Sandy, who is a "resident" due to anxiety issues, but she was happy to get out of the smoke-filled cage and tiny town house.
Doughty then tracked down leashes in the smoke, and found a way to pull out "Yaz,"a large, three-legged, paraplegic dog who was trapped with the fast-swelling fire, now spread from "lava-esque" space heater into the wall insulation, which was the apparent source of the heavy smoke.
"I was able to get her out through her exercise pen," Doughty said. "There was hole in the panel of the exercise gate."
As she pulled the paraplegic dog through the gate, she was also fighting the freezing cold, and she couldn't just leave the dogs tied up outside at minus 23, so she had to take them to a spot out of the cold, across the parking lot.
One dog, Tina, was left in the building, and while the special needs dog was none too happy about being woken up, she was even more upset about being thrust into the daggers of the subzero temps after Doughty pulled her out.
"She just kept going back in through the doggie door, because it was so cold outside!" Doughty said with a sigh, noting that she had to save the dog a total of three times, getting bitten a few times along the way. "She's kind of nippy ... even when she's being saved!"
With all three dogs out, she secured the spot on a porch across the parking lot to keep them wrangled, found another leash and called 911 and the sanctuary's founder and director, Lisa LaVerdiere.
Doughty said she found a fire extinguisher pretty quickly, but after looking into the now critter-free town house, she fell back on her early childhood and didn't open the door to fight the flames.
"I remembered my second-grade fire safety training!" Doughty half-joked, on why she chose not to try battle the blaze on her own, with just a small extinguisher, now that the animals were out. "When the fire department opened that door, the flames went 30 feet high!"
She also pointed out that the tiny, glowing building was directly beside one of the major buildings at the sanctuary, home to the "cattery," where many dozens of cats and other animals reside, including a 50-pound tortoise.
What is Home for Life?
While the recent incident had a happy ending, many of the animals at the unique facility have tragic stories already, and adding a fire to that would have been beyond sad.
As noted earlier, Home For Life animal sanctuary is located near Star Prairie, and is often a literal "last stop" for a variety of neglected, abused or disabled pets. Some of them have heartbreaking stories of abuse or abandonment, literally from around the world.
LaVerdiere founded Home for Life animal sanctuary in the summer of 1997, and it has been the final home for hundreds of animals since. She moved it to the 40-acre Star Prairie location in February 1999.
The sanctuary is also behind several community outreach programs, such as Pet Peace Corps. As noted, the sanctuary's residents are often the victims of past rejection and neglect, and now many of the animals have become ambassadors of sorts, "Rehabilitated to give back, working with volunteers and staff to help people who themselves may have been overlooked: children affected by domestic violence, at-risk teens and the elderly."
Read more about the February fire at Home for Life and see more photos here: Fire at Home for Life!! | Home for Life
The fire department responded with 8 trucks and it was soon a complete madhouse out there with dogs barking and the firemen trying to get the fire under control and prevent it from spreading. We had some frightening moments as they couldn't get the hoses working at first because it was so cold.
Above: the heartbreaking aftermath: the townhouse is a total loss.
In the end, we were very lucky. None of the three dogs who lived in the
townhouse were hurt or killed or even had smoke inhalation-they were
just grumpy at having been woken up in the middle of the night. Sandy's
townhouse is a total loss, but we have insurance
and will rebuild on the site. Now, we are waiting for the adjuster to
come out and assess the damage before we demolish it and build it anew.
It was our oldest townhouse and the cause of the fire was electrical. We
are extremely lucky the fire didn't spread
to any of the other buildings where other animals live. The biggest
hassle is that the dogs are displaced now and especially when so cold,
but it's a minor issue compared to the heartbreak had we lost any of our
precious animals.
Above: Our overnight staff person, Tammy, who saved the lives of the three dogs,
Sandy, Yasmin and Tina.
Sandy, Yasmin and Tina.
We can't thank Tammy and Grace enough for being there, handling the
situation, and getting the dogs to safety. We are also grateful to the
members of the fire department who responded so quickly in the middle of
the night when it was so cold and made sure the
facility was safe and that the fire was out. It was a harrowing
experience but could have been so much worse ... So that was how our
Monday started-we hope your winter going a bit better!
Above: Tammy with Tina the boxer whose life was saved from the fire.
Some have asked how they can help Home for Life®. We have insurance that
will cover the rebuild of Sandy's townhouse, yet we are concerned now
for the welfare of all our dogs who reside in the other 15 dog
townhouses. All the townhouses were wired by master
electricians and use electric heat which has been safe, but it seems we
have been given a second chance to reconsider a better option. Our
heating contractor and director of facilities maintenance are strongly
recommending we go to a ductless system that would
provide both heat and cooling, and which are units used often in
residential housing so safe and code compliant.
Above: Home for Life® animal care specialist Grace, with Sandy.
Grace came in to help Tammy even after a long day working.
Grace came in to help Tammy even after a long day working.
Each unit costs $898 and we have 16 dog townhouses to outfit. The
total needed is $13,500. Sandy's new unit will be covered by
insurance. Your tax-deductible gift will ensure the safety of the Home
for Life® dogs. We take Paypal or you can give via credit
or debit card or by EFT via your savings or checking account. Click
here to donate.
We know a heating unit is not the "sexiest" ask but it's one of those support structures for the care of the animals that can make a life or death difference as was emphasized all too clearly Monday morning when Sandy's townhouse nearly burned to the ground. Click here for more information about the recommended heating units.
We know a heating unit is not the "sexiest" ask but it's one of those support structures for the care of the animals that can make a life or death difference as was emphasized all too clearly Monday morning when Sandy's townhouse nearly burned to the ground. Click here for more information about the recommended heating units.
PART TWO
| Fire Recovery |
Above: The fire was so hot and destructive that it burned the blades off the overhead fan
Insurance coverage will pay for the cost of rebuilding "Sandy's"
townhouse and your gifts will help us provide safer heating systems for
our other townhouses.This incident gave us the opportunity to reevaluate
the heating source for all of the townhouses
and consider safer alternatives.
Above: the dumpster in front of the burned townhouse as demolition proceeds.
After all the inspections, evaluations and visits from insurance
adjusters, we are ready to rebuild. Demolition has begun and Sandy's new
townhouse will rise like a phoenix from the ashes of the burned
building. By the time winter rolls around again, we will
have safer heating systems installed in all the other dog
townhouses.
To get a first person account of that harrowing night, check out this article below from the Inter-County Leader which interviewed our employee Tammy, who was there that night and saved the dogs' lives.
To get a first person account of that harrowing night, check out this article below from the Inter-County Leader which interviewed our employee Tammy, who was there that night and saved the dogs' lives.
reprint of article
from the Inter-County Leader
Thu, February 25, 2021 | By Greg Marsten | Staff writer
Local woman saves disabled dogs from fire ... several times
|
| Above: Overnight staff person, Tammy, who saved the lives of the three dogs, Sandy, Yasmin, and Tina. |
STAR PRAIRIE - Recent subzero temperature taxed quite a few local heating systems, leaving many to rely on woodstoves, extra layers and electric space heaters to keep warm, which appears to be behind a fire that nearly rolled through the Home For Life Animal Sanctuary in southern Polk County on Monday, Feb. 8.
The shelter has been at that location for over 20 years, housing approximately 200 animals, fairly evenly split between cats and dogs. Many of the animals are special needs - disabled, elderly or stricken with other health or mental issues.
According to the report, it was minus 23 degrees and headed for a low of minus 26 at around 1 a.m. at the vast array of buildings that make up the animal sanctuary, when the smell crept in.
"It was during 'quiet time,' midnight to 2 a.m. is usually the slowest time of the night," stated Tammy Doughty, the animal specialist who was midway through her 12-hour shift after cleaning, feeding and medicating some of the animals. Doughty noticed a weird, out-of-place odor in the main building.
"It smelled like a woodstove, but we don't burn wood ... and we're inside," Doughty recalled. Home for Life houses its variety of animals across 40 acres, in three main buildings and 16 "townhouses," which are a variety of small, insulated and heated sheds with individual pens for the animals, depending on each one's size and needs.
The arctic cold woke up her nose even more outside, and after getting a coat on and stumbling into the dark, with only a headlamp, she followed the acrid odor to a neighboring outbuilding for several dogs, nicknamed "Sandy's Townhouse," and she quickly saw that it was the source, with a bizarre glow coming from inside.
"It was mesmerizing ... the space heater and the (electrical) cord were glowing bright, and the color of lava," she said stoically. "The cord almost looked liquid! It was the most bizarre thing, even through the smoke."
She immediately fought through the smoke and attempted to wrangle out the three dogs who "lived" in the building. Doughty grabbed the closest dog, Sandy, who is a "resident" due to anxiety issues, but she was happy to get out of the smoke-filled cage and tiny town house.
Doughty then tracked down leashes in the smoke, and found a way to pull out "Yaz,"a large, three-legged, paraplegic dog who was trapped with the fast-swelling fire, now spread from "lava-esque" space heater into the wall insulation, which was the apparent source of the heavy smoke.
"I was able to get her out through her exercise pen," Doughty said. "There was hole in the panel of the exercise gate."
As she pulled the paraplegic dog through the gate, she was also fighting the freezing cold, and she couldn't just leave the dogs tied up outside at minus 23, so she had to take them to a spot out of the cold, across the parking lot.
One dog, Tina, was left in the building, and while the special needs dog was none too happy about being woken up, she was even more upset about being thrust into the daggers of the subzero temps after Doughty pulled her out.
"She just kept going back in through the doggie door, because it was so cold outside!" Doughty said with a sigh, noting that she had to save the dog a total of three times, getting bitten a few times along the way. "She's kind of nippy ... even when she's being saved!"
With all three dogs out, she secured the spot on a porch across the parking lot to keep them wrangled, found another leash and called 911 and the sanctuary's founder and director, Lisa LaVerdiere.
 |
| Above: This is a scene from the Allied Fire response to extinguish the blaze at the animal sanctuary in 23-below- zero temperatures, at 1 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 8. |
Doughty said she found a fire extinguisher pretty quickly, but after looking into the now critter-free town house, she fell back on her early childhood and didn't open the door to fight the flames.
"I remembered my second-grade fire safety training!" Doughty half-joked, on why she chose not to try battle the blaze on her own, with just a small extinguisher, now that the animals were out. "When the fire department opened that door, the flames went 30 feet high!"
She also pointed out that the tiny, glowing building was directly beside one of the major buildings at the sanctuary, home to the "cattery," where many dozens of cats and other animals reside, including a 50-pound tortoise.
Doughty said a first responder from the Allied Fire Department
responded within a couple of minutes, with a bevy of fire equipment
showing up moments later. Eight fire trucks and many firefighters
responded, getting the blaze under control before it had a chance
to jump to the neighboring building. The cold temps also tested all the
equipment and firefighters who saved the sanctuary, and possibly
dozens, if not hundreds of animals' lives.
"God bless them!" Doughty said of the volunteer firefighters. "That's a big ask for your neighbors, way out in the middle of nowhere ... and it was so cold!"
The quick response kept the blaze at bay, and with so many animals caged in the sanctuary buildings, it could have been much, much worse. "In the end, we were very lucky. None of the three dogs who lived in the town house were hurt or killed or even had smoke inhalation," LaVerdiere said. "They were just grumpy at having been woken up in the middle of the night!"
Doughty concurred, joking about how one of the firefighters was greeted by a sanctuary "resident," a very opinionated rescue bird that is adept at English.
"The firefighters were going through the building looking for the fuse box and the bird kept yelling 'Shut up! Shut up!'" Doughty said with a cough. She said she was coughing and laughing a bit after the bird's yelling, and joked that she inhaled "about a cigarette's worth" of smoke during the dog removal.
"God bless them!" Doughty said of the volunteer firefighters. "That's a big ask for your neighbors, way out in the middle of nowhere ... and it was so cold!"
The quick response kept the blaze at bay, and with so many animals caged in the sanctuary buildings, it could have been much, much worse. "In the end, we were very lucky. None of the three dogs who lived in the town house were hurt or killed or even had smoke inhalation," LaVerdiere said. "They were just grumpy at having been woken up in the middle of the night!"
 | |
| Above: Home for Life® animal care specialist Grace, with Sandy (one of the rescued dogs from the building by Tammy), outside his burned townhouse the morning after the fire. Grace came in to help Tammy even after a long day of working. This is the outside of the small outbuilding that caught fire, which nearly spread to neighboring buildings at the Home For Life Animal Sanctuary near Star Prairie. |
Doughty concurred, joking about how one of the firefighters was greeted by a sanctuary "resident," a very opinionated rescue bird that is adept at English.
"The firefighters were going through the building looking for the fuse box and the bird kept yelling 'Shut up! Shut up!'" Doughty said with a cough. She said she was coughing and laughing a bit after the bird's yelling, and joked that she inhaled "about a cigarette's worth" of smoke during the dog removal.
"I'm just lucky I smelled it, and investigated, I guess. It was so
out of control, I'm just happy I got all the dogs out," she added.
Keeping the fire limited was a sigh of relief for LaVerdiere, as well.
"Tammy was just a hero that night and we are so grateful. ... We are extremely lucky the fire didn't spread to any of the other buildings where other animals live," LaVerdiere stated, adding that there were plenty of frightening moments and that the firefighters had to work to limit the fire spread amid a raucous chorus of anxious dogs.
"The biggest hassle is that the dogs are displaced, and especially when it was so cold, but it's a minor issue compared to the heartbreak had we lost any of our precious animals," LaVerdiere said. "It was a harrowing experience but could have been so much worse."
Keeping the fire limited was a sigh of relief for LaVerdiere, as well.
"Tammy was just a hero that night and we are so grateful. ... We are extremely lucky the fire didn't spread to any of the other buildings where other animals live," LaVerdiere stated, adding that there were plenty of frightening moments and that the firefighters had to work to limit the fire spread amid a raucous chorus of anxious dogs.
"The biggest hassle is that the dogs are displaced, and especially when it was so cold, but it's a minor issue compared to the heartbreak had we lost any of our precious animals," LaVerdiere said. "It was a harrowing experience but could have been so much worse."
|
| Above: the heartbreaking aftermath: the townhouse is a total loss. |
While the recent incident had a happy ending, many of the animals at the unique facility have tragic stories already, and adding a fire to that would have been beyond sad.
As noted earlier, Home For Life animal sanctuary is located near Star Prairie, and is often a literal "last stop" for a variety of neglected, abused or disabled pets. Some of them have heartbreaking stories of abuse or abandonment, literally from around the world.
LaVerdiere founded Home for Life animal sanctuary in the summer of 1997, and it has been the final home for hundreds of animals since. She moved it to the 40-acre Star Prairie location in February 1999.
The sanctuary is also behind several community outreach programs, such as Pet Peace Corps. As noted, the sanctuary's residents are often the victims of past rejection and neglect, and now many of the animals have become ambassadors of sorts, "Rehabilitated to give back, working with volunteers and staff to help people who themselves may have been overlooked: children affected by domestic violence, at-risk teens and the elderly."
The animals are not offered for adoption, and often have unique,
special needs, disabilities, dietary needs or paralysis, or in several
awful examples, are the survivors of horrific abuse, like the dog that
survived having fireworks put in its mouth.
"He's literally one of the sweetest, nicest animals there!" Doughty commented.
They currently house approximately 200 animals, with 30 of the cats testing positive for feline leukemia, which is a sort of death sentence for them.
The facility can accommodate up to 250 animals at one time, but once an animal arrives at Home for Life, it has just that: a home for life. As a nonprofit organization, they are often looking for donations for their unique cause. According to LaVerdiere, Home for Life depends on the support of sponsors, donors and foundations.
"Shortfalls are made up, out of pocket, by our own board members," LaVerdiere said. "Fundraising is always a major concern as we do not receive any government subsidization."
They also have a number of employees and volunteers, as well as other outreach programs and educational services.
The Home for Life animal sanctuary also leads an effort for people to accept animals that develop health issues later in life, to avoid "putting them down" so quickly.
"Through our example, we hope to discourage an acceptance of euthanasia for animals who can still live a quality life. Just as apathy can become a way of life, so can empathy," the Home for Life site states.
Home for Life is a 501c(3) nonprofit, and donations are tax-deductible and can be sent to Home For Life, P.O. Box 847, Stillwater, MN 55082. Donations can also be sent online at homeforlife.org.
They currently house approximately 200 animals, with 30 of the cats testing positive for feline leukemia, which is a sort of death sentence for them.
The facility can accommodate up to 250 animals at one time, but once an animal arrives at Home for Life, it has just that: a home for life. As a nonprofit organization, they are often looking for donations for their unique cause. According to LaVerdiere, Home for Life depends on the support of sponsors, donors and foundations.
"Shortfalls are made up, out of pocket, by our own board members," LaVerdiere said. "Fundraising is always a major concern as we do not receive any government subsidization."
They also have a number of employees and volunteers, as well as other outreach programs and educational services.
The Home for Life animal sanctuary also leads an effort for people to accept animals that develop health issues later in life, to avoid "putting them down" so quickly.
"Through our example, we hope to discourage an acceptance of euthanasia for animals who can still live a quality life. Just as apathy can become a way of life, so can empathy," the Home for Life site states.
Home for Life is a 501c(3) nonprofit, and donations are tax-deductible and can be sent to Home For Life, P.O. Box 847, Stillwater, MN 55082. Donations can also be sent online at homeforlife.org.
Read more about the February fire at Home for Life and see more photos here: Fire at Home for Life!! | Home for Life
