Dogsey

-- CLIFTON — At least nine dogs perished in a three-alarm blaze Tuesday afternoon at a Mountain View Drive house that apparently was the site of a pet-sitting service that city officials said did not have the required operating license.

Deputy Fire Chief Norman Tahan said the animals’ bodies were found scattered throughout the house and that two more dogs and three cats were missing. Two dogs made it out alive shortly before flames erupted from the roof and destroyed the two-story home, he said.

Three firefighters were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion while battling the fire in hot weather, Tahan said. One sought treatment in the evening, and two were released from St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson.

The Clifton fire, police and animal control departments are investigating, along with the Passaic County Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The cause of the fire was unknown as of Tuesday evening.

The animals were loose in the house and not in cages at the time of the fire, Tahan said. Of the nine dogs whose bodies were recovered, four were found near a garage door, and three were in a hallway, he said. Other cats and dogs likely also died but were not found, he said, adding that ceilings collapsed over parts of the house that were not yet safe to search.

The home’s address, 176 Mountain View Drive, is listed on the online discount website Groupon as “Your Family Pet Sitters.” Fire officials said they had been told that the home was the site of a pet-sitting service.

A man who answered a phone listed for Your Family Pet Sitters said the service was not prepared to comment about the fire. The company’s website says it has three locations; the website suggests the business is insured, bonded and certified.

City Health Officer John Biegel, who oversees the animal control department, said the city has no records on file for a license to house animals at the address of the fire. Overnight kennels and some day-care animal facilities require licenses to operate in Clifton, he said. Residents also need the approval of the zoning officer to operate a business from their house.

“They don’t have approval to operate anything,” Biegel said.