ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 3, 1991                   TAG: 9103030192
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium


21 ANIMALS KILLED IN FIRE AT VET CLINIC/ BY NEAL THOMPSON AND LAURENCE

Twenty cats and dogs and a pet rat all died in a fire that destroyed a Blacksburg animal clinic early Saturday.

The animals were being kept at the Companion Animal Clinic in the 3000 block of South Main Street following surgery or other medical procedures.

"They all perished in the fire," said Mathew McCormick, one of four veterinarians who had worked at the clinic. "It's a terrible thing to happen."

McCormick, who had worked at the clinic for 1 1/2 years, said all the animals were cats or dogs, except for one pet rat.

Pet owners were being notified Saturday, but not all had been contacted by Saturday evening, McCormick said.

Some of the clients were "understanding," McCormick said. "But some people definitely were more upset by the news than others were."

The fire was reported at 2:20 a.m. Saturday by tenants in a nearby building, who told police they were awakened by noise and saw fire coming from the rear of the clinic, Blacksburg police reported.

McCormick and the clinic's three other veterinarians were notified by police and arrived soon after the police and fire departments.

"We were able to save our medical records and some of the equipment in the front of the building . . . but most of the clinic was gutted," McCormick said. "It was very difficult."

Police said there were no injuries, and firefighters remained on the scene until noon.

McCormick said some members of the fire department and some neighbors went out of their way to help clean up and search for anything salvageable after the fire was extinguished. "The support from the community was very good."

Damage was estimated at $200,000 to the building and another $25,000 to equipment. Police said the cause of the fire is under investigation.

The clinic is owned by James M. Shuler, who also is one of its four veterinarians. The clinic moved into the building on South Main about seven years ago.



 by CNB