Harley is one lucky dog. Not only did he survive a raging inferno that killed scores of pets two days ago, but he's just gone to a loving new home. The 15-month-old Shih Tzu was one of nine dogs rescued by firefighters as an early morning blaze gutted Durham Region Humane Society's animal shelter in Oshawa.

The $250,000 fire is still under investigation by the Ontario Fire Marshal's office, but shelter manager Ruby Richards said preliminary reports indicate it started in the ceiling and may – a sad irony for the cats – have been sparked by mice chewing through electrical wires. "It was devastating," Harley's new owner, Judy Hannah, said of the fire. She and her husband, Barry, feared Harley, whom they had already adopted, was among the victims because he was at the Waterloo St. shelter waiting to be neutered before they could take him home. "He is a sweetheart," Barry said yesterday as the happy pup wriggled in his arms after they collected him from the Oshawa Animal Services shelter, where the rescued animals were taken. The Newcastle couple lost their toy poodle to cancer two months ago. See full article here.