A FORMER rescue shelter which was at the centre of a harrowing animal abuse scandal has been destroyed after a huge fire ripped through the building.
The former Ayrshire Ark site near Patna in East Ayrshire went up in flames at around 3.50am this morning.
During a raid at the location in 2016, Scottish SPCA inspectors found seven dead dogs and a cat in a freezer[/caption]
During a raid at the location in 2016, Scottish SPCA inspectors found seven dead dogs and a cat in a freezer.
Zara Brown was jailed for seven months in 2017 after neglecting pets in her care and putting them in a freezer when they died.
In the early hours of this morning, a raging inferno ripped through the former animal centre.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they were at the scene.
Firefighters tackled the blaze as three appliances were sent to the scene just off Dalmellington Road.
Photos from the scene show bright orange flames engulfing the premises.
Thick smoke could also be seen billowing into the sky.
And more snaps after the blaze was extinguished showed the extent of the damage.
The roof appears to have caved in completely, with a number of windows blown out.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 4.25am on Sunday, 30 March, 2025, police were called to a report of a fire in the Dalmellington Road area of Patna.
“Officers assisted Scottish Fire and Rescue Service colleagues at the scene.
“Enquiries into the circumstances remain ongoing.”
Shelter boss Brown ran the refuge from the former St Xavier’s Primary School, and charged owners to take their animals if they were unwell or the owners could no longer look after them.
The horror conditions inside the former animal rescue centre[/caption]
Pets’ lifeless bodies were pulled from a freezer packed with mutilated corpses by horrified animal welfare workers during a raid.
More pets were found lying dead on the floor of the old schoolhouse she used as her base.
And other hounds were languishing in squalid conditions among their own filth.
The Scottish SPCA said the case was one of the most distressing they have ever had to deal with.
Inspector McPake led the initial raid on the centre and described the moment officers uncovered the sickening scenes hidden inside.
She said: “There was an overpowering stench as all the floors were covered in dog faeces and urine.
“There was debris strewn in some of the rooms creating more hazardous and unacceptable conditions.
“As an inspector who deals with animal cruelty we expect to see horrible things, but this case was particularly harrowing and will stay with us for a long time.”
In 2022, cops discovered a huge cannabis cultivation with a whopping estimated street value of £800,000 at the same location.
