SACO — Two pregnant dogs died in a fire that destroyed a barn at a Timber Ridge Farm at 221 Simpson Road in Saco on Thursday.

Farm owner Doreen Metcalf noticed the fire when she opened the door to the barn around 9 a.m., said Dep. Fire Chief Robert Martin.

The 6,000-square-foot building was used for housing and training dogs, said Martin.

Metcalf breeds German Shepherds and offers obedience classes for dogs and boarding services for dogs and horses at the farm.

Martin said Metcalf was able to get all the dogs out from one end of the building, but couldn’t get two pregnant dogs, one in the process of giving birth, out from the other end of the building.

A third dog ran off but was later found, Martin said.

No people were hurt in the fire, he said. 

The fire, which was contained to the one building, is under investigation but it does not appear to be suspicious, Martin said.

Fire departments from Biddeford, Old Orchard Beach, Buxton, Goodwin’s Mills, Arundel and Waterboro assisted the Saco Fire Department. 

Early Thursday afternoon, Metcalf was on her property tending to her dogs. She looked visually distraught over the loss of two of her animals and the barn. She said the barn was insured.

This is the second stroke of bad luck Metcalf has had. One of her German Shepherds was allegedly dognapped and died after being hit by a car in November.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected].