RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — In the mist of tragedy, sometimes all it takes is a kind word. Well, for one Rutherford County family, it was several comments and posts that helped uplift them after four of their puppies died in a fire.
For decades, the Smith family operated “Pomskies of Middle Tennessee,” bringing new life to the phrase, “dogs are a man’s best friend.” Instead, they say, they’re helping to bring new family members to their clients.
However, even with the love of what they do, sometimes when you’re going through a rough time, the word “community” takes on a different meaning.
“I’m looking back at all these people that we’ve touched. It’s overwhelming to see hundreds of people come back out to say how much they love their puppies, and how much they appreciate the service that we’re able to give to people,” said Karen Smith.
It’s been those same people uplifting the business, especially days after the unthinkable.
Her husband detailed what happened that night. It was Super Bowl Sunday, and the entire family was preparing for the game when suddenly, Karen received a text message.
“She received a text from the neighbors asking if we were okay and that they saw smoke coming from the property and we had no clue,” her husband explained.
It would quickly become their nightmare.
“It was towards the back of our property and as soon as I looked out I saw the smoke pouring out of the building,” recalled Karen, holding back tears. “Out of our nursery, we had converted a large building into a nursery for sanitation and to keep our puppies safe as they grow.”
At the time, four puppies and their moms were inside an outbuilding. The Smiths told News 2 that the building was equipped with air conditioning, plenty of space, and doors to allow the bigger dogs to roam in and out.
So, with safety measures in place, how did the fire start?
“They determined it was a plug that had just gone bad, and so there’s just no way you can prepare for that, there’s no way you could have prevented it, they just go bad and there’s no warning. And what had happened, it kind of got into the wall, it burned that outlet up, went inside the wall up and from there, it just did its damage,” Karen’s husband explained.
Rutherford County Fire and Rescue were able to get to the home and put out the fire. However, after the search, crews found four puppies dead inside the building.
“When I saw the smoke, when I opened the door, I knew I couldn’t go in because of what I was seeing, and I could feel the heat, it was just so hot, it was so hot, and it was so quiet, and I knew, that was the only thing running through my head I just needed to know if they were okay,” Karen cried.
A GoFundMe was created to help Middle Tennessee Pomskies rebuild. If you would like to make a donation, follow this link.
