'It's a catastrophe, it's heart-wrenching.' Kingsbridge fire tore through animal hospital
The fire broke out around 8:39 p.m. on the first floor of the Armory Dog and Cat Hospital, according to the FDNY.
More Stories
The FDNY says a two-alarm fire destroyed Armory Dog and Cat Hospital.
The hospital suffered busted-out windows and collapsed ceilings, leaving a mess of debris blanketing the floor.
"It's a catastrophe, it's heart-wrenching," said Dr. Albert Burchman, a veterinarian at the animal hospital.
The FDNY says no people were injured, but three birds died, and two cats were injured.
One of the birds belong to Dr. Burchman.
"Smith was 50 years old, and the two parakeets that kept him company," he said.
A full vacate order for the building was issued by the fire department. Dr. Burchman says the upper floors took in most of the damage, leaving their machines destroyed.
"Equipment, equipment can be bought. Buildings can be rebuilt. And we've been here for a long time. And we're going to stay here for a long time. We are not giving up," he said.
He tells he plans to continue some services until they are able to fully recover.
"We're going to go to the people's homes. We're going to take care of all our all our clients, all our pets, so they don't fall through the cracks," he said.
