Breaking News 100 cats killed in fire in San Jose

A woman who dedicated her life to the care of homeless cats suffered a terrible blow Tuesday morning when a fire tore through her San Jose home and killed about 100 cats in her care. Carole Miller, who founded the Stanford Cat Network and housed many of the cats in her home, survived the blaze by curling into the fetal position in a backyard enclosure on Polvadero Drive. Her rescue dog, Bunny, also survived, along with seven cats. But Fire Capt. Chief Reggie Williams said the majority of the remaining cats - numbering nearly 100 - on her care died in the fire, which was reported about 1:45 a.m. and knocked down at 2:12 a.m. The cats were sleeping in crates, Miller said, which is why they couldn't immediately get out. Miller, a former research administrator at Stanford Univerisyt, was sleeping on the couch when the fire broke out. The fire started in the bedroom and firefighters are still trying to figure out what caused it. "They were like my children. I devoted my whole life to them," Miller told NBC Bay Area. "I always worried that I couldn't get back to them. I always made sure they had plenty of food and fresh water. They were well cared for and terriby loved." The Stanford Cat Network based on the Peninsula was founded on the belief that "all life should be valued and treated with dignity and respect," according to its website. The volunteer organization provides alternative to the "health and well-being" of homeless cats on the Stanford campus. Miller said that her home was inspected by the proper animal care authorities who ensured that she could house so many animals at her residence. In this case, despite all of Miller's efforts, she couldn't save the lives of her beloved cats. Choking up, Miller told NBC Bay Area that she will soon "take all their little bodies" up to Napa, where she has "many animals buried" and cremate them.

• 2013-07-16T20:07:48+00:00
• Duration: 02:33

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