Five years after a devastating fire destroyed Pet Alliance former Orlando shelter, the organization is marking the anniversary by remembering the 17 cats whose lives were lost and announcing plans for permanent memorials in their honor. Plans are underway to create intimate memorials at Pet Alliance’s Orlando, Sanford and Alafaya locations, where the ashes of the 17 cats will be incorporated into lasting tributes to their lives. The memorials will provide a meaningful way for staff, volunteers and members of the community to pause, reflect and remember the animals who were lost. Details of the memorials are still being finalized, and Pet Alliance will share additional information as plans move forward.
The fire on September 15, 2021 forever changed Pet Alliance. While many animals were rescued from the shelter that night, 17 cats were lost in the days that followed as a result of injuries from smoke inhalation. The tragedy deeply affected the staff and volunteers who cared for them, as well as a community that rallied around Pet Alliance in the immediate aftermath and continued to support the organization in the years that followed.
“Five years later, the impact of this tragedy is still deeply felt by members of the Pet Alliance family and throughout the community,” says Pet Alliance CEO Dr. Josh Fisher. “As we honor the 17 cats whose lives were lost, we also recognize the staff, volunteers and supporters who came together during an incredibly difficult time and have continued to carry Pet Alliance forward. These memorials will provide a meaningful and lasting way to remember the cats we lost and ensure they will always remain a part of Pet Alliance’s story.”
The long-awaited opening of Pet Alliance’s new Orlando shelter this past March serves as an important reminder of how far the organization has come. Plans for a new Orlando shelter were already underway before the 2021 fire, but the loss of the Conroy Road facility accelerated the need to bring that vision to life. In the nearly five years between the fire and the opening of the new shelter, Pet Alliance staff continued to serve animals and families across multiple locations and in limited spaces, never wavering from the organization’s life-saving mission.
Today, with its new Orlando shelter open and plans for the memorials moving forward, Pet Alliance enters its hopeful next chapter with gratitude for the community that has stood beside the organization and an unwavering commitment to the animals and families it serves.
For more information on Pet Alliance, visit https://petallianceorlando.org/.
For Pet Alliance photos, go to: Pet Alliance Media Assets.
For naming opportunities at Pet Alliance’s new Orlando shelter or to make a donation, visit https://petallianceorlando.org/donate or contact [email protected].
About Pet Alliance
Pet Alliance was founded in 1937 as the Orlando Humane Society. Since then, the organization has worked hard to provide positive and safe outcomes for pets. Today, Pet Alliance has a dedicated focus on the welfare and well-being of dogs and cats in Orange, Seminole and Osceola Counties. As the “go to” experts in Greater Orlando, they do good things for dogs and cats and the people who love them. Their goal is to provide compassionate and knowledgeable services for pets and to be leaders in innovative animal care and veterinary medicine. More than 4,000 surrendered pets and homeless animals turn to Pet Alliance for caring, compassion and hope through their shelters each year. Pet Alliance provides food, medical care and shelter for dogs and cats until they find their new homes. In addition to providing housing and care, Pet Alliance works to develop progressive and innovative programs that help keep pets and people together. Pet Alliance also provides low-cost spay/neuter surgeries and animal wellness through their public veterinary clinics. Their shelter programs are supported entirely by donations from the community they serve. For more information, visit https://petallianceorlando.org/.