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AUSTIN, Texas – A pet shelter in Georgetown, Texas caught fire in September, killing all 75 dogs in it.
What you need to know
- State Representative James Talarico, D-Round Rock, has tabled a bill requiring Texas kennels without 24/7 staff to install sprinklers and fire alarms
- On September 18, a fire broke out at the Ponderosa Pet Resort in Georgetown, killing all 75 animals inside
- Due to the size of the system, neither smoke detectors nor a sprinkler system were required
- The facility was inspected in 2015 and no violations were found
Georgetown Fire Chief John Sullivan said no one was there when the fire broke out during the night hours, and the Ponderosa Pet Resort facility was not required to have smoke alarms or a sprinkler system due to the square footage of the building.
Much has been said about updates to the city’s fire protection regulations since then, but a state legislature wants to move things forward.
Rep. James Talarico, D-Round Rock, unveiled House Bill 147 during the third and current special session of the Texas Legislature.
The bill, Talarico said in a Twitter post, would require Texas kennels without 24/7 staff to install fire alarms and sprinkler systems.
After the fire, our community organized a petition with 17,000 signatures calling for legislative action.
As we saw with the blackouts, we all suffer when our state government fails to implement common sense rules.
Let’s pass HB 147 and protect our pets.
– James Talarico (@jamestalarico) October 7, 2021
Businesses that are 10,000 square feet or more are required to have a sprinkler system, but the pet resort was 8,125 square feet.
The fire brigade was informed of the fire on Saturday, September 18, shortly before 11 p.m. Sullivan said the firefighters arrived within five minutes and found “the worst possible scenario” with heavy smoke and fire from the building.
The pet facility was last inspected in 2015 and no violations were found. It was considered a low risk business, so it was only inspected for three to five years, Sullivan said.
City officials said the Ponderosa Pet Resort had an operating license but not a kennel license. The city’s kennel permit has food, water, sanitation, and health requirements, but does not require sprinklers, smoke detectors, or 24-hour staff.
The Talarico bill is not on Governor Greg Abbott’s list of priority items.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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