50 trapped cats and dogs burn to death trying to escape ‘deplorable’ conditions

Authorities say 45 cats, five dogs, a parrot and a raccoon are dead after a central Florida house fire.

Florida Today reports that rescue workers responded early Wednesday morning to the Merritt Island home.

Brevard County Sheriff’s Office officials say a couple living at the house managed to escape without injury. One cat and 13 dogs were rescued and taken to a nearby animal shelter for a routine quarantine.

The cause of the blaze wasn’t immediately reported. Fire officials say efforts to stop the fire were hampered by some windows that were boarded up and the distressed pets inside attempting to get out.

Deputies say they’re reviewing the fire as part of an animal cruelty investigation. Sheriff’s spokesman David Jacobs called the conditions in the home “nothing less than deplorable.”

This story was originally published January 11, 2017 at 2:29 PM with the headline "50 trapped cats and dogs burn to death trying to escape ‘deplorable’ conditions."