FELLSMERE, Fla. — An animal rescue located on the Treasure Coast is looking to rebuild after 11 cats and a tortoise died in an early-morning fire.
Ted Pankiewicz thought he was hearing a rocket launch when a loud rumble woke him up. It was actually the cottages at his Fellsmere cat rescue, For the Love of Paws, that were up in flames.
WATCH BELOW: 'We're hurting': Cat rescue destroyed by fire
The fire started around 5:30 a.m. Monday, trapping 15 cats and one tortoise. Investigators believe it was likely caused by an electrical issue, possibly a window air conditioning unit.
"Honestly thought it was a rocket launch… but I could see that, that there was like a glow," Pankiewicz said.
Pankiewicz and his son searched for any animals they could reach. When they found four cats trapped in an outdoor kennel, Pankiewicz ran in to get them — burning his arms in the process.
"I was thinking at that point that there wasn't anything I could do for them because it was completely engulfed," Pankiewicz said.
One of the cats, Socks, caught fire as she ran toward him.
"My son yelled, 'I think I hear one of the cats,'" Pankiewicz said. "Socks came running to me. When she came running to me, she caught on fire."
The two ripped the kennel from the wall just before the flames spread.
"We were just yanking, yanking, yanking. We were finally able to rip it, rip the bolts out of the wall, and lift the kennel up, and we were able to get them out," Pankiewicz said.
Four cats survived. Eleven cats and the tortoise did not.
"They might not have been our cats from the beginning, but you know, they become our babies," Pankiewicz said.
The nonprofit is now asking the community for help as it works to rebuild from the ground up.
"We don't know where to start," Pankiewicz said.
We spoke with Pankiewicz, who said the community can help by volunteering, donating money or donating items to their thrift store.
"Any little bit of help, you know, that we can get at this moment. You know we really need it, because we're hurting," Pankiewicz said.
Click here to learn how you can help the cat rescue rebuild.
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