45 dogs dead in North Las Vegas fire

Authorities announced Monday that at least 45 dogs died in a house fire in Las Vegas over the weekend.

The fire was reported to the North Las Vegas Fire Department on Sunday night. When the fire department arrived at the home, in a suburb of Las Vegas, they found dogs "running in the front and backyards, but most were found inside" the three-bedroom home, The Associated Press reports.

While 45 dogs were reported dead, another 48 survived the fire, AP notes. Some of the dogs were revived with pet-rescue oxygen masks. In addition to the dogs, a man who was at the home was taken to University Medical Center in Las Vegas, where he was in stable condition as of Monday morning. Meanwhile, animal-control officers removed the dogs from the house. It's not yet known why so many animals were living there.

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Isaac Barron, a local councilman and high school teacher, who owned the house, issued a statement Monday saying he was heartbroken about the animals' deaths. Barron added that he had been in the process of evicting his tenants, two men who have not yet been identified, from the home when the fire occurred. Police Sgt. Chrissie Coon told AP that the tenants are under investigation for their treatment of the animals. "As an animal lover, I am heartbroken about this tragedy," Barron said in the statement. "I hope those responsible are held accountable by the authorities."

North Las Vegas Fire Department Capt. Cedric Williams told AP that police will be "continuing their investigation" of the incident, which he said appeared to be an accident that resulted from an electrical issue. The home, which dated to 1954, was a total loss after the smoke damage, Williams told AP.