Fire destroys home for elderly and terminally ill dogs

ST. LOUIS -- The owner of Stray Rescue of St. Louis plans to rebuild after a fire destroyed a farmhouse he used as a home for elderly, disabled and terminally ill dogs.

The fire broke out Saturday at Randy's Rescue Ranch in O'Fallon, Illinois, just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. Stray Rescue owner Randy Grim told KSDK-TV that with help from firefighters, all the dogs were saved, but two senior cats who also lived there died and the farmhouse was a total loss.

"Heartbroken and completely devastated," Grim wrote in a social media posting Sunday.

Stray Rescue of St. Louis is an organization that takes in dogs that have been abused, neglected or dumped on the streets to fend for themselves. The O'Fallon facility opened in 2017 as something of a hospice for old, disabled and very ill pets. Many of the dogs live out their final days at the ranch.

"These are dogs that are usually euthanized in shelters. They're usually not adopted because of their medical conditions from cancer to paralysis, to you name it," Grim said.

The farmhouse in recent years has taken on other animals, too, including donkeys, cows and pigs.

He is seeking donations to help rebuild.

Fire officials said they were called to an "exterior light fixture on fire." Flames quickly spread to the rest of the house.

"It's tough to watch your dreams go up in smoke," Grim said.