by NICHOLAS HIRSHON
Rescue workers saved dozens of cats, dogs, snakes and other animals from an early-morning fire inside Bob's Tropical Pet Center Monday, but the three-alarm blaze destroyed the 30-year-old store. Every animal survived and only a few pets were injured, said Susan Gentile, who owns the Jamaica Ave. store with her husband, Robert. "I'm just glad nobody got hurt," said Gentile, who said she was relieved that the fire didn't occur while the store was open. Authorities reported that 11 firefighters suffered minor injuries putting out what began as an electrical fire. The blaze started just before midnight and was brought under control by 1 a.m. Rescue workers used tiny oxygen masks to resuscitate kittens in front of the store, witnesses said. Two apartments above neighboring businesses were also severely damaged by the fire, forcing the residents to look for new homes, said Miguel Rivera, 42, who lived with his parents and brother in one of the apartments. "The [pet store] brought us together and now it's destroyed," said Linda Farrell, 17, choking back tears. Farrell said she had met her boyfriend, Luis Reyes, 22, outside the pet store. "You can't see the dogs jumping in the window any more," she added. Linda Donofrio, 45, said she walked to the pet shop from her Ozone Park apartment after seeing a television report about the fire. "I had to come here and when I turned the corner, I didn't want to believe it was true," she said. Fire engine sirens awoke Hector Rodriguez, 66, who rushed from his home to see what had happened at the store, where his wife had bought their two parakeets. "Today, I've seen a tragedy," he said. Many locals peered into the charred remains of the store, expressing disbelief and offering prayers for the animals' health. Some of the pets - goldfish, snakes and turtles - were taken to a Myrtle Ave. pet shop for safekeeping.
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