A fire-ravaged dogs home has been inundated with over £500,000 in donations after a suspected arson attack killed more than 50 dogs.
Firefighters were called to Manchester Dogs Home shortly after 7pm on Thursday night following reports of a major blaze in one of the kennels.
About 150 dogs were rescued from the burning sanctuary in Harpurhey, Manchester, as firefighters and onlookers kicked down kennel doors on the sprawling 11,000-acre site.
On Friday morning, Greater Manchester fire and rescue service said the number of dogs that had died so far was 53. Many of those rescued were taken to the charity's sister home in Grappenhall, Cheshire.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of arson and remains in police custody for questioning.
DI Neil Jones praised the "overwhelming" public response to the disaster as online donations for the dogs home topped £300,000.
He said: "The response from the public has been overwhelming and this is clearly an incident that has tugged on the heart strings of many. A number of people, including police officers and staff, were quickly on the scene and put their life on the line to help with the rescue effort.
"We are determined to establish exactly how and why this fire started and will be working closely with our partners from the fire service.
"As part of the investigation a 15-year-old boy has been arrested and he will be spoken to throughout the course of the day. If anyone has any information about this fire I would encourage them to contact us."
Hundreds of volunteers flocked to the site last night, bringing blankets and dog food as reports of the fire spread online. Police and firefighters appealed to animal-lovers to stay away from the scene as the crowds gathered.
Two men, Jason Dyer, 41, and his nephew, Dean Rostock, 25, were praised as heroes after rescuing around 20 dogs. The men, who live nearby, jumped over a fence and kicked open kennel doors before taking the animals to safety and tying them to a fence.
"All the windows where the dogs are advertised for sale were blown out and the ceiling was collapsed," Dyer told the Manchester Evening News. "We initially ran into the bit that was on fire but we couldn't get those dogs out. We went to the other kennels and began kicking out the doors. We just wanted to get them out.
"This place is part of our childhoods. We both have dogs and love dogs – of course we are going to run in there. We just wanted to make sure as many as possible would be OK."
Around a third of the building is thought to have been gutted by the blaze, with further inspections on Friday set to decide whether the home is irreparably damaged.
Jones said: "Our switchboard, like social media, has been overrun with people wanting to help and I would ask people to not call the police unless they have information about the investigation or those responsible.
"Anyone wanting to donate items such as food and blankets can do so by bringing them to the north Manchester police headquarters. A JustGiving page has also been set up for anyone wanting to donate cash. If you have information about the fire then please call us."
The police appealed to the public to allow officers to investigate rather than attempting to take matters into their own hands.
