ROME, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -
At least 32 dogs were killed when fire destroyed a kennel and a home, a few miles southwest of Rome.
Floyd County fire officials said the blaze began Tuesday afternoon at Flashpoint Kennel on Fox Hill Drive.
Kennel owner Linda Nash said 32 dogs, most of them puppies, died in the blaze. Several Jack Russell terriers that had been retired from her breeding program were killed, as were some Boston terriers and Chihuahuas.
About 20 dogs were saved and taken to nearby veterinarians for treatment.
Brandy Ely, who works with the kennel, was treated for smoke inhalation.
"I kept smelling something that smelled like hair burning," said Ely, recalling the moment when the smoke began billowing from the heating unit inside the home.
"A couple of seconds later the whole hall was filled with smoke," said Nash.
She is convinced the fire started because of a malfunction with the heating system. Nash says it underwent maintenance work a few weeks ago.
Rome-Floyd Fire Department Battalion Chief Phil Taylor said the structure was essentially a doublewide mobile home that had been added on to a number of times.
Jason Broome of Floyd County Animal Control said the Flashpoint Kennel was registered with the state, and never had any code violations.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Copyright 2012 WGCL-TV. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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