Families of dogs killed in District Dogs flooding demand answers from DC mayor

WASHINGTON — D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser will meet with families who lost their pets when an animal daycare flooded in Northeast D.C. It's been two weeks since 10 dogs died in flash flooding at the business on Rhode Island Avenue. The families want answers about what happened.

The meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday. First responders rescued many dogs from floodwaters that day, but 10 families were not so lucky. They want to know why there was no plan in place for an emergency like this one. Rhode Island Avenue is prone to flash flooding, and we know it took emergency crews 23 minutes to get to District Dogs after the first call was made. 

Owners are upset their dogs were caged and never given a chance to make it out alive.

One of the dogs who was killed, was Zeni, a 2-year-old Corgi. Her parents, Luer Yin and Connor McCarty told WUSA9 they moved to the area about six months ago and had only left Zeni at District Dogs a few times. 

"She was in a crate on the flood, locked up. She didn't have a chance. If he had just not locked her up, Zeni would have paddled out there and saved herself," Yin said. "Why would the instinct or protocol be to cage the dogs? Why would you not evacuate the building?"

Yin and other pet owners sent a letter to the mayor last week, asking for the meeting. Now, they are getting that opportunity. The meeting is closed to media. We will keep a close eye on what comes out of the meeting Thursday afternoon.