911 Call about Flood that Killed 10 Dogs at Washington Day Care Was Misclassified as Water Leak: Investigation

Officials investigating the recent drowning deaths of several beloved pets trapped inside a flooded Washington, D.C., doggie day-care center concede that a misclassification of the first 911 call about the emergency delayed the initial response.

Heather McGaffin, the acting director of D.C.'s Office of Unified Communications, apologized for the way dispatchers handled the calls that came in August 14 about rising waters inside District Dogs.

The tragic incident claimed the lives of 10 pet dogs; 20 other animals were rescued by staffers. McGriffin called the emergency an "unprecedented event" for which their dispatchers were ill-prepared.

McGriffin said the first caller to 911 reported that people were "in danger" in the doggie day care, and "trapped in water" with "no way out."

But operators classified it as a "water leak."

As a result, the call was placed on hold, and the immediacy of the emergency was not conveyed to first responders.

The first call also was disconnected prematurely.

The raging floodwaters rushed into the building with tremendous force and speed, forcing the collapse of a wall inside the business. Some employees stood on a countertop because the water level was so high.

McGriffin praised the heroics of the business' staffers during the flooding.

When questioned about what disciplinary actions the dispatchers involved might face, McGriffin demurred, noting the failure was not an immutable "conduct issue" but "a performance issue" that could be resolved with additional training.

District Dogs also sustained minor flooding last year after opening in 2022.

The business' owner said the doggie day care will not be reopening.