K9 trainer loses 17 dogs in house fire on Thanksgiving Day; community raises money

An Ohio community is raising money for a K9 trainer whose 17 dogs perished in a house fire on Thanksgiving Day.

Owner Sherman Holbrook lives in Brookfield Township, about 60 miles east of Akron. Someone called him around 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day to tell him his house was on fire, family friend James Reuff wrote on a GoFundMe page created for the man and his family.

Although Holbrook, his partner and their 7-month-old daughter were not home during the fire, the family’s 17 dogs were inside the house and died, Reuff wrote under the GoFundMe.

“Sherman is a K9 handler with his bomb and drug searching dogs,” Reuff wrote. “They just had puppies recently which is why it adds up to so many.”

He said in a Facebook post that all 17 of their working K9s were retired, active or puppies.

The family isn’t sure what is salvageable in the home, Reuff said. He added that the dogs were Holbrook’s primary form of income, so he started the GoFundMe to help the family until they can figure out their next move. 

The family has already received baby items and some clothing for Holbrook and his partner, so Reuff stressed the need for monetary donations before anything else.

As of Wednesday afternoon, donors have already given $28,277 of the fundraiser’s $40,000 goal.

The Summit County Sheriff's Office also shared a story about the fire and asked locals to donate what they can to help the family. According to the post, Holbrook worked with the office’s new K9s.

“A very sad Thanksgiving Day for the local trainer who worked with our new K-9s,” the post read. “Below is a GoFundMe page to help both the family and the business get back on its feet.”

Neighbor saw smoke coming from house where dogs perished

The fire started in the basement. A neighbor saw smoke coming from the home on Thanksgiving Day and just so happened to live near the fire chief, said Captain Steve Smoot of the Brookfield Township Fire Department.

The neighbor called 911 and as she was doing that, went and told the fire chief about the fire.

The call came in at about 4:55 p.m. but Smoot told USA TODAY during a phone interview Wednesday morning that he isn’t sure how long the fire was burning. 

“The fire damage stayed contained to the basement but there was smoke damage throughout the house,” he said.

Smoot said the dogs were located all throughout the house but some were in the basement and others were in crates.

The fire department has listed the fire’s cause as undetermined but the state fire marshal is handling the investigation, he said.

Family is 'blown away' by donations

Reuff shared a series of updates on the family on Facebook and said they are "blown away by all the donations and they’re extremely thankful for everything so far."

"We’re still trying to collect as much as possible because there will be little to no income with the dogs being a primary income for their family," he wrote.

Get updates on the GoFundMe at www.tinyurl.com/K9Updates.