21 Dogs Die in One Night at Boarding Facility

Families in upstate New York are mourning the loss of their pets after 21 dogs at a boarding facility died in a single night. "It's like losing a child," said a couple whose 8-month-old puppy was among the dogs found dead Sunday at Anastasia's Acres dog boarding facility in Argyle, about 45 miles north of Albany, per WTEN. Though the Washington County Sheriff's Office didn't release a cause of death, the couple said investigators told them the facility's central air malfunctioned overnight and the dogs suffocated due to lack of oxygen. Just one dog survived and was later ruled healthy.

Robert and Leah Brown said they left their puppy, Rex, at the facility on Saturday morning before heading to New Hampshire for the weekend. The facility's owner had been scheduled to send a photo of Rex on Sunday, but none arrived. Instead, the couple were contacted by authorities. A 12-year-old girl also lost her beloved 3-year-old dog, Piglet, who was due to be picked up from the facility on Sunday. "I just broke down immediately," Hannah Elmore tells WRGB of the moment she learned of the death, adding an apology from the owner "would mean a lot to me." The facility has been closed indefinitely as authorities investigate.