Midwest Animal Hospital Rescues 97 Animals After a Fire Engulfs a Local Shelter

On a cold evening in late January, Dr. Ashley Sawa was on duty at Midwest Animal Hospital when she received a distressing call. A fire had broken out in the laundry room of the People's Animal Welfare Society (P.A.W.S.), a local animal shelter near Orland Park, Illinois, that often turned to Midwest for veterinary care.  

Without hesitation, she rallied the team members on site. They quickly grabbed as many leashes and carriers as they could find. Eleven minutes later, they arrived on the scene with five carloads of people and supplies. The fire department had just contained the fire but they were unsure how to handle the animals.

The Midwest team rushed in to evacuate the 55 cats and 42 dogs. They placed the animals in crates and transported them to their hospital five miles away.

With a 20,000-foot facility and a large full-time staff, Midwest was more equipped than most to handle the large influx of patients, but given the late hour, most had finished their shift.

“I texted as many people as I could,” Dr. Sawa said. “About 60 to 70 members returned to the hospital, including doctors, techs, managers and groomers who bathed and examined every animal.” They took temperatures and heart rates and treated them for respiratory distress and smoke exposure.

Many team members worked through the night to monitor the animals who remained at the hospital for the next 48 hours.

“It could have been much worse,” said Managing Veterinarian Dr. Jared Settle. Only two dogs needed oxygen, and 14 cats required more extensive care. “Thankfully, our team rose to the occasion and every animal was treated quickly.”

In her 18 years at Midwest Animal Hospital, Dr. Sawa had never seen an emergency on that scale. “We’ve had a few clients affected by house fires, but nothing like that night,” said Dr. Sawa. "Every single animal was saved because of one thing: teamwork.”

Today, all of the animals have fully recovered and were adopted or placed with foster families.

"It’s such a beautiful thing to see so many people come together in a time of need,” said Hospital Manager Brittany Davis. “I’m so grateful for our community.”