Story By: Jonathan Macias, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
A boy looking after an animal shelter was almost burned alive and 300 hundred animals were rescued at the last minute when the property was destroyed in a suspected case of arson.
The blaze took place at the Manada San animal shelter in the city of Chalco in the State of Mexico in the centre of the country.
According to local media, the manager of the shelter Priscila San Martin Carmona said that some people came to the shelter and started a fire by spreading a flammable liquid around the garden of the establishment at around midnight on Sunday.
The Manada San shelter wrote on Facebook: “The shelter is on a one-hectare field, we use half of it to host the dogs and the other half for them to play in groups. This half (where they play) is full of bushes and they started the fire there.
“It is the fifth time that a fire has been provoked since we have been here.”
Reports said that more than 300 animals live in the shelter including dogs, cats and some pigs. Luckily all the animals were rescued, according to reports.
Martin Carmona told local media: “One of the boys that guard the shelter at night almost burnt himself, the fire was strong. It almost reached the dogs’ cages.”
Reports claim firefighters are still working to extinguish the fire although it is under control.
The shelter has called for help on Facebook to collect food for the animals and materials to rebuild the shelter.
They have also published several bank accounts on their Facebook page with netizens reportedly making donations between 30 MXN (1.24 GBP) and 2,000 MXN ( 83 GBP).
It is unclear how much money they have collected so far.
The shelter wrote on their Facebook page: “There are more than 65,000 people following the page, I propose donating 5 MXN, what would happen to the more than 300 fury friends without this shelter?”
It is unclear if the local authorities have launched an investigation into the incident and no arrests have been reported.
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