SALISBURY - Nine dogs have died and the building at Rowan Animal Clinic on Statesville Boulevard was heavily damaged by fire early Sunday morning.
Fire officials at the scene told WBTV that the fire started around 1:30, and that it took nearly four hours to be brought under control.
Rowan Animal Clinic is located at 4155 Statesville Boulevard, west of Salisbury.
Greg Lowe, a vet and also manager at the clinic says the dogs that died were being boarded or seeking medical care.
Lowe told WBTV by phone he was the doctor on call this weekend and had been at the clinic just hours earlier.
He says there were no signs the dogs were burned and it seems more likely they died from breathing in the smoke.
Most of the owners have been contacted but Lowe planned to try and reach the rest by the end of the day Sunday.
Lowe says they plan to rebuild and hope to offer service to small animals in the next week or two.
Lowe says he arrived shortly after the fire broke out, tried to get in to save the animals along with other firemen and police but fire and debris prevented them entering the building.
Deborah Horne, a Rowan County fire investigator says the cause is under investigation.
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