LARGO, Fla. — An animal advocate is out of the hospital after a house fire this weekend where she tried to save as many foster cats as she could from the burning home.
“Here is a person who’s filled a major need in our community for so long,” Director of Rescue Pets of Florida Jeanine Cohen said. “She was sleeping. She woke up to a fire alarm and cats screaming.”
This weekend, Rescue Pets of Florida said Laura Kile’s house caught on fire and she risked her life saving as many foster cats as possible.
“They literally pulled her out of the house, and she was saying save them, save them,” Cohen said. “Her arms are burnt. Her hands are all burnt. She totally was willing to sacrifice her life until they stopped her.”
Cohen said Kile runs the St. Pete division of the rescue.
“She was, Saturday, was going to an adoption event because she runs that store, and she was going to fill an adoption center,” she said.
Cohen told ABC Action News that 14 cats were rescued from the fire that survived. On Tuesday, Cohen said Kile was released from the hospital.
Rescue Pets of Florida organized a GoFundMe to help Kile in her recovery and cover the cost of treatment for the cats injured in the fire. So far, it’s raised more than $81,000.
“This is a woman who’s given everything and now lost everything," Cohen said. "It’s really that simple."
