RELATED: Fire that killed 25 pets probed

BY JEFF BRANSCOME
THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Marye Byrd took in an abandoned beagle with fleas, worms, tick bites and other wounds about two years ago.
She and her husband, Dennis “Sarge” Byrd, restored Little Byrd’s health and put her up for adoption. But then a grass allergy caused the dog to lose fur.
“People didn’t want a dog that had medical issues,” said Marye Byrd, 40.
So they kept Little Byrd.
In fact, the family had 20 cats and seven dogs—all rescues—until a fire destroyed their home in Spotsylvania County on Saturday. All but two cats perished in the fire.

One cat was rescued by firefighters and another escaped through a side door that the Byrds’ 17-year-old neighbor had opened during the fire.
“From what we understand, it was smoke inhalation” that killed the pets, Byrd said. “They were not killed by the flames, thank God.”
She said she’s appreciative of all the fire and rescue personnel who responded, and gave special thanks to those who are investigating the fire. The 1,463-square-foot single-family home is on almost half an acre and had a fenced backyard.
The Byrds have soft spots for animals that can’t find permanent places to live, whether it’s because they have medical issues, are too old or have been abandoned
“I never really considered any of them special-needs, to be perfectly honest,” Marye Byrd said. “They were all perfect and beautiful in my eyes.”
Sometimes she would take as many as 10 cats at a time for vaccinations at White Oak Animal Hospital in Stafford County. She’d stack pet carriers on two luggage carts and roll them into the clinic.
“My husband and I said for years the house runs on coffee and kitty litter, and not necessarily in that order,” Byrd said.
The couple plan to rebuild their home in the Lake Wilderness subdivision. They have insurance and have received plenty of help from family and friends, Byrd said.
She and her husband and their two surviving cats are staying with Marye Byrd’s parents in King George County.
If people want to help, Byrd is asking that they donate to two nonprofits in memory of her pets. Those organizations are START in Woodbridge and Fetch a Cure in Richmond. People may drop off checks for those groups at White Oak Animal Hospital.
“That’s what’s important to me,” Byrd said. “None of this is about Sarge and I. None of this is about the house.”
START helps people who can’t afford their pets’ medical needs, Byrd said. Fetch a Cure assists those who have animals with cancer and can’t pay for treatments.
Before the fire, the Byrds’ dog Belle underwent surgeries for cancer and recently started receiving chemotherapy.
Belle had a checkup with the vet last week and “everybody was just amazed at how well she was doing,” Marye Byrd said.
Byrd is an accountant, but she also works as a trainer at PetSmart in Fredericksburg’s Central Park. Over the years, she has adopted three dogs from a rescue organization that visits the store.
Her love of animals came at an early age. Her family, she said, had dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, fish and a guinea pig.
“I always knew that I was an animal lover,” she said.
Asked to describe Byrd’s bond with her animals, her brother replied: ”Insepara ble. That’s the only word,” Rich Sheild, 38, said.
A memorial at a tree near the Byrds’ house includes flowers and some pet toys, including a squeaky tennis ball.
Marye Byrd called her animals “my life.”
“They were my support system. They were my welcome wagon when I came home at night.”
Jeff Branscome: 540/374-5402 jbranscome@freelancestar.com

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If people want to help, the Byrd family asks that they donate to groups that help sick and injured animals:

START, Box 2590, Woodbridge, Va. 22195; 703/670-5183

Fetch a Cure, 5609 Patterson Ave., Richmond, Va. 23226; 804/525-2193 or online at fetchacure.com/donate

Donors also may drop off checks for the nonprofits at White Oak Animal Hospital in southern Stafford.