'This was our life': Ohio family struggles after losing 17 dogs in Thanksgiving house fire

An Ohio community is rallying around a K-9 trainer whose 17 dogs perished in a house fire on Thanksgiving Day.

Sherman Holbrook, his fiancée Jessica Schlumberger, and their 7-month-old daughter were visiting family when a neighbor called to say there was a fire at their home in Brookfield Township, about 60 miles east of Akron.

The neighbor wanted to know how to get into the house to save the dogs but in the end, the smoke was too thick and they couldn't save them. All 17 dogs inside died. They included German shepherds, Belgian Malinois and a Dutch shepherd, and ranged in age from 3 weeks to 11 years old, Holbrook told USA TODAY in an interview on Thursday.

“This was our life,” said Holbrook, a handler and trainer at Excel K-9 Services Inc. "These dogs are the reason I’m here. They’re the reason Jess is here. They’re the reason we have our daughter.”

Fundraising efforts to help Holbrook and his family

Family friend James Reuff created a GoFundMe page for Holbrook and his family and said they aren't sure what is salvageable in the home. He added that since the dogs were Holbrook’s primary form of income, he started the fundraiser to help the family until they can figure out their next move.

The family has already received baby items and some clothing, so Reuff stressed the need for monetary donations before anything else.

As of Thursday afternoon, donors have already given over $29,000 of the fundraiser’s $40,000 goal.

The Summit County Sheriff's Office also shared a story about the fire and asked locals to donate what they can to help the family. According to the post, Holbrook worked with the office’s new K-9s.

“A very sad Thanksgiving Day for the local trainer who worked with our new K-9s,” the post read. “Below is a GoFundMe page to help both the family and the business get back on its feet.”

Neighbor saw smoke coming from house where dogs died

The fire started in the basement. A neighbor saw smoke coming from the home on Thanksgiving Day and just so happened to live near the fire chief, said Capt. Steve Smoot of the Brookfield Township Fire Department.

The neighbor called 911 and as she was doing that, went and told the fire chief about the blaze.

The call came in at about 4:55 p.m. but Smoot told USA TODAY on Wednesday that he wasn't sure how long the fire was burning.

“The fire damage stayed contained to the basement but there was smoke damage throughout the house,” he said.

Smoot said the dogs were located all throughout the house but some were in the basement and others were in crates. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

One of the dogs killed saved owner’s life during a dark time

Holbrook said one of the dogs the family lost included Thor, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois who meant the world to Holbrook.

Holbrook was single and drinking a lot, and came close to ending it all when he said Thor intervened.

“That dog loved me unconditionally,” he said. “I was ready to end my life … One time he actually bit me in the hand when I had a pistol with me. That dog saved my life.”

Thor saw him through alcohol withdrawals and night terrors, often curling up next to him to let him know he wasn’t alone or jumping on the bed to wake him up.

“I got myself better for that dog,” Holbrook said. “This dog did a lot of protection work and was phenomenal with my daughter and my family. He was my inspiration to train police dogs.”

Thor also changed a bit when Holbrook and his partner found out they were having a child. He would sleep in the couple’s bed and lay his head on her belly, listening to their baby girl.

“Our daughter, she has just grown up with all of these dogs her whole life,” Holbrook said. “Now, there’s none. She's just not sleeping now, whether it’s a bed or a crib. We feel she knows that they're gone.”

Dog owner found purpose in K-9 training

Holbrook previously worked at BMW car dealerships but wasn’t very happy, he said. One day, a friend called and said they knew someone looking for an employee to clean kennels and learn how to train dogs.

Holbrook, who grew up working with sporting dogs, was on board. Eventually, he said it became his purpose. He and his partner would like to own their own company someday but they also rescue dogs and breed them.

“We kind of take the working dogs that shouldn't have been put in homes and bring them to our home and teach them how to actually live in a home,” Holbrook said.

He said having working dogs is no easy feat. The dogs they’ve raised have gone on to excel but it took lots of training.

He mainly works with dogs like the Belgian Malinois and the German shepherd. They typically have bite or aggression histories, he said. They either stay with his family long-term or get trained and find their own homes.

After losing so many of their dogs, the family is grateful for the support they’ve received from donors and police K-9 officers.

“The insurance money, that's something we're not going to see for months ... until the claim is settled,” he said, adding that the GoFundMe money will help them get back to helping and training dogs.

After all, he said: “That, I feel, is my life’s purpose."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ohio family struggles after losing 17 dogs in Thanksgiving house fire