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Cats rescued during fire at animal shelter on Shanty Bay Rd.

Four people suffering from smoke inhalation taken to Barrie hospital as a precaution

Four people suffered some smoke inhalation removing cats from a burning building Friday morning on Shanty Bay Road, just outside the Barrie city limits.

Oro-Medonte Township firefighters were called to a blaze at Street Cats Animal Rescue near Colborne Street at about 11:20 a.m., on May 26.

A garbage truck was on fire close to a building, which operates as a cat shelter, with approximately 40 cats inside.

The four people who suffered smoke inhalation, while removing the cats from the building, were taken to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) in Barrie as a precaution.

All of the animals removed from the building by township firefighters were put in the care of shelter staff.

The garbage truck is a write-off and the building sustained damage estimated at $80,000 to $100,000, according to township officials.

There are several other businesses in the building, including the cat shelter.

The province's Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) was contacted and are not investigating the blaze.

What caused the fire is undetermined.