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Dozens of animals were killed and 11 firefighters were injured when a three-alarm fire broke out in Bob's Tropical Pet Center in Queens late Sunday night. The fire, which broke out just before midnight Sunday at the pet store on Jamaica Avenue in Woodhaven, took firefighters an hour to bring under control. The Fire Department still doesn't have an exact number of how many pets died, but officials estimate between 100 and 150 animals were in the store at the time. Many that survived require medical attention. "Many of the birds that were in there didn't make it," said FDNY Deputy Chief James DiDomenico. "The firefighters were able to go in and get some of the pigs and other types of animals that were in there out." "There have been major calls to us, many phone numbers given to us of who took dogs, who took cats," said owner Susan Gentile. "God has blessed us. All our fish in the back are alive, all the tanks are going, and our small animals are in their cages fine. Is God good or not? And the rest, some people took them to the vet, some took them home, and some took them to my other store on Myrtle Avenue." Eleven firefighters were treated for minor injuries sustained while fighting the blaze. The fire originally started on the first floor of the two-story building, then spread to three apartments and the restaurant next door. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Bob's Tropical Pet Center has been on Jamaica Avenue for 30 years. The family's been in the business for 50 years, and it's a place that residents love to pass by to look at the puppies and kittens in the window. They say it's something they'll miss, and they hope the owners will rebuild. "Me and my mom used to come by and play with the cats and dogs and all of that," said one area resident. "It's sad what happened." "I used to have my dogs groomed upstairs, and it's a shame to see something like that go down," said a neighbor. "I just hope they rebuild and make a pet store again."
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