When a nearby building full of dogs caught fire, these colleagues took action to rescue them

Except for firefighters, not many people run to fires. But last month, when a Seattle business caught fire, a group of colleagues took action to help their neighbors.

PSR Mechanical employees rushed across the road as smoke rose from The Dog Resort, a canine daycare in Seattle’s Lake City neighborhood.

Greg Hagen was one of the HVAC company employees who rushed to the dog resort.

“I could see smoke rising from the building and I could hear dogs barking, first responders, firefighters and police responding,” Hagen told CBS News. “So it was a blast. It was chaos. And it was one of those situations where I didn’t know exactly what to do, but I knew he had to help.”

Hagen said he and his colleagues joined forces with other members of the community, including employees of a nearby Mexican restaurant, to help save about 60 dogs.

“So there were about nine of us, each with a different role. Some raced there to catch the dog, others helped secure the yard so the little dog wouldn’t come back.” When I went out into the street, there was an employee taking care of the dog and I was playing with it,” he said.

PSR employees corralled the dog in the yard while firefighters fought the blaze. “At that point, a lot of the dogs had settled down, so it was great to see that,” Hagen said. “It was like they were given a new playground. So they started having fun and It was running all over our yard, which was pretty cool to see.”

Not only did they calm the frightened puppies, but they calmed the anxious parents who came to pick them up. “I was desperate for it,” Hagen said, adding that his team helped pet owners reunite with their beloved dogs. Some of us were on the verge of breaking down in tears. When people showed up and saw dogs playing in the yard, it was safe.”

No dogs were injured in the fire and the PSR neighbors are being hailed as heroes. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell visited both PSR and his Aceitunos Mexican Foods to thank the employees who helped rescue the dog. He also presented them with a certificate of appreciation.

“Yeah, it was a chaotic moment. I don’t want to go through that again, but I’m glad we were able to help,” Hagen said.