An early-morning house fire in Poulsbo tore through a home used for dog breeding, killing roughly 40 dogs and leaving only a handful of animals alive, according to fire officials. Firefighters pulled a small number of pets from the flames, but most did not survive. No people were reported hurt, and the Kitsap County Fire Marshal has opened an investigation.
Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue says crews were dispatched around 2:30 a.m. to the 1400 block of Northeast Paulson Road after a neighbor called in flames and reported that people might be inside, according to Kitsap Daily News. When firefighters arrived, the structure was already fully involved and Navy Region Northwest Fire provided mutual aid. Local accounts indicate the house was a total loss.
What crews found
KIRO 7 reported that firefighters found dozens of animal crates lining the halls and that more than 40 dogs and about a dozen cats may have died in the fire. The station said four dogs were rescued in total, three while crews battled the flames and another later during the fire marshal's review.
Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue public information officer Ileana LiMarzi told the station she had “not seen the loss of such a high number of animals.” Kitsap animal-control officers and representatives from the Kitsap Humane Society were on scene documenting the conditions and assisting with the surviving animals, KIRO 7 reported.
Owner, rescues and probe
Fox 13 Seattle reported that responders ran the plates on a vehicle parked outside, got a phone number and reached the homeowner, who told them he is a dog breeder and that he was not home when the fire started. According to that outlet, roughly 40 dogs were killed and three dogs were rescued and turned over to Kitsap Animal Control for care, while other local reports show slightly different survivor counts as investigators work to confirm totals. Officials said the Kitsap County Fire Marshal is leading the investigation into what caused the blaze.
What the law says
Kitsap County code requires hobbyists to obtain a license if they keep more than four dogs or cats at the same location and generally bars having more than 10 adult dogs or cats without written permission from animal control, under the county ordinance. Any regulatory review of licensing or animal-welfare compliance would fall to Kitsap Animal Control and county authorities, and animal-welfare staff have said it is too early to draw conclusions about potential violations, according to the Kitsap County code and local reporting.
What happens next
Investigators are still working to determine an official cause and to confirm the full number of animals that died or survived, local outlets report. Animal-control officers remain on scene documenting the property and caring for the surviving dogs, and officials have not released further details while the fire marshal completes the review. Agencies have asked anyone with information to contact investigators through the channels listed by local authorities.
