Soccer Players Help Rescue Runaway Dog at Cardiff Fire

Several businesses remain closed Thursday evening following a two-alarm fire that began in a kitchen shared by two Cardiff restaurants.

Those businesses closed include a nearby pizza place, a dog grooming business and the two restaurants torched in the fire that began around 10 a.m.

Despite dangerous conditions caused by flames on the roof when firefighters arrived, the real drama came from the evacuations of those nearby businesses.

A small black poodle panicked during the evacuations and ran loose from the Grooming Tails employee carrying her and another dog to safety.

"She just leaped from my arms, and I started chasing her," Madison Wilson said. "I don't know how long, but it got to the point when I couldn't run anymore."

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That's when some young athletes joined in the pursuit.

Teenage soccer players Peyton Bennett, Haley Kawar, Kaylie Baier and another young friend were out for some exercise by the beach when someone shouted out to them to help catch the dog named "Amelie."

"So, we sprinted off," Haley Kawar said. "And we found her but then she'd dash off to the right, and we'd run after her, and then she would run off again."

The girls pursued "Amelie" for about half-an-hour until she was finally captured by witnesses and taken to a vet, who said she will make a full recovery.

"She's going to be fine," a relieved Wilson said. "I'd be devastated if anything happened to her. She's a really sweet dog and I totally love her."

Ed. Note: The original report from authorities was the Seaside Market building was on fire. We have corrected the article to reflect new information.

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