Businesses at a Southside shopping center are making arrangements after a roof collapsed December 3.
“I got a call and they said, 'hey something’s going on we have a bit of an emergency,'” Tara Gabbard said.
She jumped in her car and rushed to help the Beach Boulevard Happy Hounds store when she learned a roof at a nearby business in the same shopping center had collapsed.
The dogs were safely escorted away from the scene by workers and JFRD.
Gabbard, who manages the Westside location where the displaced dogs will stay until the other property reopens, said they are waiting to get an all clear from the City.
“We’re just sitting tight – we’ve got all our dogs over here (at the Westside location)," she said.
Over at the Beach Boulevard location, there are cease and desist orders on the doors. They question the structural integrity of the building. A store that neighbors Happy Hounds – ordered condemned by the Fire Marshal.
Other businesses in the strip – even those not behind the caution tape - explain they are still waiting on the City to deem the area safe.
First Coast News examined City records. No major issues in the complex and nothing that would indicate collapse and JFRD says no inspection reports on file.
In the meantime, Gabbard said Happy Hounds is lucky in that they have a back-up in place for the pups.
“We do have a lot of space for the dogs to run around and be as happy as possible,” Gabbard said.