More than 50 dogs killed in Bardstown kennel fire

BARDSTOWN, Ky. (WAVE) - The char, the destruction, the smell of smoke apparent. There’s no barking or wagging of tails.

“No words,” Ron Kraemer, the owner of Doggy Style Kennels said, shaking his head and fighting back tears.

Kraemer showed WAVE 3 News one of his favorite videos of his dogs, wagging their tails and playing inside of their kennels.

Tragedy occurred Friday night, as 54 of his dogs died after a fire destroyed those kennels.

“Some of these dogs have been with me for a long time,” Kraemer said.

Kraemer said he’s been raising and breeding Labrador Retrievers for over 30 years, raising them to be adopted by families and as service pets.

He explained the devastation he saw when he came home Friday, after a quick run to the store to grab dog food.

“I came down here and it looked like the biggest heat and flames were right here,” Kraemer said.

He said in all his years raising these animals, this is the most horrific thing he has had to endure. With all the grief, Kraemer was delighted to discover one survivor.

“She had six puppies, inside of there and she lost every single one,” Kraemer said.

A true miracle, Candy was able to escape the flames. Somehow, she was able to push open a gate and reach safety.

Fire crews are working to determine how the fire started.

Moving forward, Kraemer says the plan is to remember what was lost and then start anew. Thousands of clients from all around the US are reaching out to help in any way they can.

For more information on how you can help, click or tap here.

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