Martha Stewart’s dog dies in kennel explosion
Martha Stewart’s chow puppy was one of 17 dogs killed in a propane explosion at an eastern Pennsylvania kennel, the Associated Press has reported.
Stewart confirmed the death on her blog, writing that she was ”deeply saddened” by the death of her dog, Genghis Khan, in Friday’s blast at Pazzazz Pet Boarding, a kennel in the Pocono Mountains that breeds and trains show dogs.
Fifteen dogs were killed in the explosion, and two more died over the weekend.
The kennel was getting a propane delivery when the tank ignited, setting the pens on fire.
The driver of the truck, Timohty Kleinhagen, was badly burned, but managed to toss one dog over the kennel fence to safety.
“That man is a hero,” said the kennel’s co-owner, Karen Tracy. “My heart goes out to his family.” Kleinhagen was listed in critical condition yesterday.
Genghis Khan was a grandson of Stewart’s previous chow, Paw Paw. Paw Paw died last April at age 12.
Stewart announced on her blog in December that she was adopting Genghis Khan, then 7 weeks old. It wasn’t immediately clear how much time Genghis Khan had spent at Stewart’s Westchester County, N.Y., estate.
Stewart sent condolences to Tracy, who breeds and trains dogs who compete in shows throughout the country, including Westminster. Many of the dead dogs belonged to Tracy and her mother, Jean Ahner, who live on the property in Carbon County, about 75 miles north of Philadelphia.
“My heart goes out to Karen Tracy and I am hoping for a speedy recovery for those (both pets and humans) injured in this terrible event,” Stewart wrote.
(Photo from The Martha Blog)
Posted by jwoestendiek March 9th, 2009 under Muttsblog.
Tags: boarding, carbon county, chow, dead, dies, dog, dogs, explosion, fire, genghis khan, kennel, killed, martha, martha stewart, news, pazzazz, pennsylvania, pet, pocono, propane, stewart, trainer
Comments
Comment from Anne-n-Spencer
Time March 9, 2009 at 8:51 pm
I dunno. We rely on a great local dog-care service for in home care, but only for one or two days at a time. They come in, feed His Highness, chat with him, and take him for a long walk with other dogs. It’s great. (I probably shouldn’t plug them so I’ll just say that what happens in the dog van stays in the dog van…)
I doubt we could afford someone to actually come and stay with Spencer overnight. And he gets so pathetically lonesome when he’s by himself. He’s been happy in a good, reliable boarding kennel when we go on longer trips because he has other dogs to play with and humans who are there all the time.
Comment from Eighteenpaws
Time March 9, 2009 at 6:15 pm
This is terribly sad news. From what I have seen of Martha, she truly adores her pets. But c’mon, a billionaire who feels that she must board her pets at a kennel? I don’t get it, and it strangely bothers me a lot. I don’t even take an overnight business trip, let alone week-long vacation, until I have a trusted doggie sitter who can stay overnight at my house. And I am towing financially like most others! Not to detract from the reputable profession of dog kennel-ing, but there are numerous, bonded, wonderful OTHER options that keep your pets physically and emotionally safe and more secure.