Washington Dog Daycare Owner Speaks Out After Dogs Died During Flooding and It's Beyond Heartbreaking
Ten dogs were killed when flash-flood waters filled a canine day care in Northeast Washington. Jacob Hensley, the owner os District Dogs, spoke with NBC Washington yesterday, August 16.
His grief is just so heartbreaking.
View the original article to see embedded media.
The Washington Post reports, "John Lisle, a spokesman for D.C. Water, said in an email that the area has experienced chronic flooding as far back as the late 1800s, and that D.C. Water’s rain gauges recorded about two inches between 4:30 and 5:15 p.m. Monday.
“That amount of intense rainfall can overwhelm the existing sewer system, which contributes to the type of flooding we saw on Rhode Island Avenue,” Lisle said. “This location under the Metro overpass is a low point that acts as a bowl, and storm water flows into it from multiple directions, including from the tracks above.”
There are storm drains in the area, but if the sewer is filled, the water has nowhere to go. Construction on a storm tunnel where water can flow is expected to be completed in September. Hensley told The Washington Post that his business had flooded three times in less than a month. Flood bags were in place, but “our building’s not built like a ship,” he said.
“You can’t protect it from that much water,” Hensley said.
Hensley said he had been in touch with city officials and was hoping for a solution.
In this clip it's reported that some of the heroic employees of the daycare were swimming some of the dogs out of the building.
View the original article to see embedded media.
It's horrible this has happened previously at the same dog daycare, and there is no report on why Hensley didn't move locations. All we do know is that this daycare owner is obviously heartbroken and there are dog owners left grief stricken after this tragedy.
@Alejandra comments, "Last year the area flooded and he + other businesses made a big petition for DC to do something beyond cleaning up after every storm." @Kai replies, "My heart breaks for him and the owners. I know this poor man will carry this grief in his heart forever." @Feather responds, "The poor 10 dogs that couldn’t be saved, may their souls rest and families heal. May this man heal as well."
Hensley was quoted by The Washington Post as saying, "My team that was on-site during the flood yesterday are absolute heroes,” he said. “They were fighting for their own lives and trying to rescue and save as many dogs as they could. They are nothing short of heroes, and they deserve all the credit for all the lives that they saved.”
In instances of flash flooding, it's incredibly difficult to react quickly. If you have a dog at a daycare it's always important to ask what safety measures are in place in the case of a natural disaster, but even with all the best intentions there's no certainty your pet will be safe. This is just so heartbreaking all around.
Our thoughts go out to everyone involved in this horrible tragedy.
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