Seven newly adopted dogs on their way to forever homes were killed when the vehicle transporting them suddenly went up in flames.
A van carrying 11 dogs rescued and rehabilitated by Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue in Texas was en route to New York to meet their new families when the vehicle caught fire in Illinois on Friday, Click2Houston reported.
The van’s drivers managed to save just four dogs after their vehicle went up in flames.
Seven of the dogs did not survive the fire, the rescue said.
One of the dogs, named Guapo, suffered severe burns from the fire and was hospitalized, but is expected to make a full recovery.
It was not immediately clear how the fire started, but the rescue team described the blaze as “fast and intense.”
In a post on social media, Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue thanked their drivers for being able to save four dogs – Guapo, Sasha, Charlie and Magnolia.
The rescue also paid tribute to the seven dogs who did not survive, writing “RIP Pancho, Piglet, Penny, Clover, Stetson, Lancelot and Presto.”
“We are devastated by this loss. Words cannot express the grief we feel, nor the gratitude we have for our drivers—true heroes in this unimaginable moment—and for the many people who stepped in to help at the scene,” the rescue wrote on social media.
“We take a small amount of comfort in hoping the ones that did not survive passed quickly and without prolonged suffering,” the post continued.
While Guapo remains in the hospital receiving care, the three other surviving dogs have since been united with their adoptive families.
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