Firebugs strike near dog centre
A dog-sitter has told how pets were minutes away from being caught up in a blaze.
Kathryn Potten, 48, frantically tried to extinguish the flames on a patch of dry grass next to her doggy day-care centre in Troon last Wednesday.
The mum-of-two was called into action after noticing smoke billowing out and flames beginning to spread towards her business, Barking Mad.
Kathryn had to leap to the rescue of six dogs as the fire began to spread across the grass.
Several buckets of water were doused over the fire as Kathryn ran back and forth to control the blaze which, she says, would have reached her yard “within minutes”.
The dog lover – who has looked after canines in the town for six years – believes the fire was deliberately set and is‘disgusted’that someone would put animals at risk.
She told the Post:“I was out in the yard with the dogs and next thing I see all this smoke billowing out, then there’s flames.
“It’s all dried grass outside and the whole patch was on fire.
“It started coming through the fence and into my yard which is also a mix of grass and dried grass.
“I had to get buckets of water and go out and try to stop the fire before it came in here.
“I was running in between with water and stamping on the grass to get it all out. I didn’t even have time to phone 999. It all happened so fast.”
Kathryn believes the fire could have been disastrous had she not been there.
She said:“It would have spread really quickly if I had not put it out.
“The dogs are in a yard and I’ve got a big unit and some of it is made of wood.
“There’s a garage next door with gas tanks in it, if I hadn’t been there it would have taken the whole of Union Street lane.”
Kathryn wants firebugs to know how close they came to putting animals lives at risk.
She added:“I would have had to evacuate the dogs and get them in the van, but I would have only had minutes to do that.
“It’s absolutely disgusting to think whoever did this can see we were here.
“You can hear the dogs and see them. To then do that is just pure evil. It makes me so angry.”
Kathryn told the Post she reported the fire to Police Scotland who have been contacted for comment.