Donations topped $2 million on Saturday for a dog shelter in England devastated by a fire that killed more than 50 dogs Thursday night. Greater Manchester Police investigators continued inspecting the charred Manchester Dogs Home on Saturday to determine how the blaze broke out. A 15-year-old boy suspected of setting the fire was arrested and questioned Friday, and then released on bail Saturday, according to a statement by Manchester Police.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Station Manager Paul Duggan said that onlookers had to be stopped from trying to help first responders battle the flames on Thursday night, but were encouraged to give donations instead. About 150 of the dogs were rescued from the shelter, and drop-off locations for blankets and food were established. Monetary donations have flooded a page set up for the home, raising more than 1.2 million pounds (or more than $2 million) by Saturday afternoon local time. "The response from the public has been overwhelming and this is clearly an incident that has tugged on the heart strings of many," said Manchester Police Detective Inspector Neil Jones.
Staff of The Manchester Dogs Home — which provides shelter and veterinary care for dogs before finding them a place to live — expressed "enormous gratitude" for the donations, and asked the community to consider fostering the dogs that were still displaced.
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— Elisha Fieldstadt