Inverted Pyramid News Story

Possible Arson At Clovis Animal Shelter
By Sean Prettyman

A fire broke out at the Clovis Pet Adoption Center at 8 p.m. Sunday.  Two fire engines were called to the scene, and the fire was extinguished by 10 p.m.
Clovis Police are investigating the cause of the fire.  “The fire may or may not have been caused by vandalism.  We won’t know until we look into it further,” proposed Lieutenant Jacob Frank, his theory suggested by residents claiming to have seen two young men loitering in the area before the fire was reported.
Firefighters determined the fire might have started in the maintenance shed where the shelter stores its lawnmower and gasoline.
“It was hard to get in there to fight the fire with all the animals upset.  We had to watch out for them and try not to hurt them, or be hurt by them, while we did our jobs,” said firefighter Linda Richardson at the scene.
One dog, a cocker spaniel mix named Fuzzy, was injured and required veterinary treatment.  Staff veterinarian Sharon Roberts explained, “Fuzzy was burned on his back slightly when part of his kennel collapsed on him while it was burning.  We treated the area and he’s recovering well.  He’s eating well and seems happy.
“The shelter has sustained a lot of damage from this fire.  We were already low on money before the fire, and I don’t know how we will repair this,” said Carol Heider, director of the animal shelter.  “We will definitely need the community’s support in returning our shelter to normal operation.”