http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2015/03/08/firefighters-battle-blaze-dog-kennel/24609657/?hootPostID=c3c7567eeb1aff32979abe3cd7fc9e21 
Jane Knickerbocker had tried other area kennels through the years, but she kept coming back to Add-En-On in Mendon Ponds Park.
It was a place she and her family had come to love and to trust to care for Jack, their 8-year-old Jack Russell terrier. "It's the best," the Pittsford resident said Sunday. "We couldn't ask for a better place for our dog."
Knickerbocker lost Jack at the kennel Sunday morning in a three-alarm blaze that likely killed about a dozen other dogs, as well.
Monroe County Sheriff Cpl. John Helfer said an employee at the kennel saw smoke and fire coming from a fireplace or woodstove inside the main building which is attached to the kennel.
That employee and two others tried to free all the animals "but were only able to free 25 to 30 of the 40 to 50 dogs being housed at the kennel," Helfer said in a statement. "The remaining dogs perished."
Helfer said more accurate numbers will be available once investigators can safely visit the scene. The employee who first saw the smoke was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital and treated for smoke inhalation.
At least three fire departments, including Mendon, Honeoye Falls and Avon fought the blaze that destroyed the building. The fire departments had to locate hydrants and run hundreds of yards of fire hose to get to the fire, Helfer said.
Firefighters were alerted of the fire by an automatic alarm about 11:20 a.m. and spent several hours battling the blaze. Heavy smoke was pouring from the building when they arrived, said Honeoye Falls Fire Chief Paul Churnetski.
"By the time we got here access to the two-story building was really not a possibility, " Churnetski said. He said strong winds caused the fire to spread quickly through the kennel area. An excavator was being used to take down parts of the kennel to extinguish the fire.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. The Greater Rochester Chapter of the American Red Cross is assisting four people with emergency housing, food and clothing, said Michael Stewart, coordinator for the Monroe County Disaster Team.
The surviving dogs were taken to the animal emergency hospitals, Golden Acres Kennel or Calvary Lodge. The investigation is ongoing.
Jan Prescott of Pittsford, who left the area with a dog on a leash, said she heard about the fire from a cousin who sent her a text. I grabbed my jacket, as many leashes and collars as I could and told my husband I'm going down to help."
She said that an employee, Katie, who lived in the apartment above the kennels, "lost her home, her pets and her job all in one day."
Prescott said that the owners have "been wonderful to my animals (and) I wanted to be able to give back."
Knickerbocker didn't know Jack's fate as she drove to the kennel after being contacted about the fire. She witnessed several dogs being transported to local veterinarians and was full of praise for the staff at Add-En-On.
"I want people to know how amazing the owners are," Knickerbocker said. "They always wanted the best for the dogs. I saw them today and they can't even talk. They are crushed beyond belief. I can't imagine them having to call all these people and tell them about their dogs.
"The staff was so brave," she said. "They risked their own lives to save those dogs."
The company's website reads that the kennel has been open for 77 years in a variety of forms.
It is now "a third generation family owned and operated, pet boarding facility serving the greater Rochester area. Throughout all the years, our main priority has always been to care for your family pet the same way you do — with great love and compassion, some petting behind the ears and a snack from time to time," the site reads.
JMAND@DemocratandChronicle.com
