Forty animals were saved after a house fire in Duplin County over the weekend, but some animals already in the shelter were euthanized to make room for their care and treatment.
Duplin County Fire Marshal Matthew Barwick says a man who was in the home near Magnolia was not hurt in the fire.
Officers with Duplin County Animal Control rescued and relocated dozens of animals, including 19 guinea pigs, 18 dogs, two ferrets and a rabbit.
Barwick said the shelter made the tough choice to euthanize 12 dogs already in its care to accommodate the animals rescued from the fire. He said the euthanized dogs had health conditions that impacted their quality of life or had been up for adoption for two months without any interest.
