This is such a sad story – one of Martha Stewart’s dogs has died in a freak accident at the boarding kennel where he was staying.

One of Martha Stewart’s dogs has died in a deadly propane explosion at a Carbon County kennel in Pennsylvania.

Her Chow Chow — Genghis Kahn — was one of 16 or 17 dogs killed in a tragic propane blast that happened during a propane delivery to the elite kennel.

Some of the deceased were show dogs, all were beloved pets. Many terrified dogs made a beeline for the turnpike and the forest. All of those have reportedly been recovered.

The delivery man was able to toss a few dogs to safety before he himself was burned.

Several police officers also were burned in the process of rescuing dogs.

Los Angeles Times

It’s heartening to hear that the delivery man and police tried to help the dogs, at their own risk. Following recent bushfires in Australia there was an outpouring of help directed specifically at animals hurt in the fires. People care deeply about their pets, they are part of the family, and to lose one when you think they’re in a safe place must be such a shock. Martha’s official blog has further details, as well as a pictorial tribute to her pet Genghis Khan.

A day after a propane explosion killed 15 show dogs in a Carbon County kennel, co-owner Karen Tracy mourned the passing of a 16th dog that died Saturday morning, and tearfully described the propane delivery driver as a ”hero.”

Badly burned in the explosion, the truck driver managed to first toss a cairn terrier named Chilli over the fence to safety before getting himself out of harm’s way.

”That man is a hero,” Tracy said. ”My heart goes out to his family.”

Timothy Kleinhagen of Summit Hill was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest where he was listed in critical condition Saturday, a hospital spokeswoman said.

He was filling the kennel’s propane tank when the explosion occurred about 2:25 p.m. Friday. Fire officials have said a spark or static electricity could have ignited the fire, which sent flames 75 feet into the air and ripped through the pens at Pazzazz Pet Boarding kennel, near Beltzville State Park in Franklin Township.

In addition to the 15 dogs that died Friday, 13 dogs were taken two nearby animal hospitals. A 3-year-old chow chow named Shamrock was badly injured and didn’t make it through the night, Tracy said. Six were released Saturday.

Creature Comforts of Saylorsburg was treating five of the dogs, most with second- or third-degree burns. Two were in critical condition Saturday, two were stable and ready to be transferred to another kennel and one will need skin grafts, said Dr. Karin Breitlauch, the veterinarian who owns Creature Comforts.

One of the dogs in critical condition sustained burns over 80 percent of her back, she said.

Like human burn victims, the dogs will get fluids, diuretics and antibiotics, Breitlauch said.

”Fortunately, they have very thick skin,” she said, but added that for the dogs in critical condition, ”the next three or four days will be touch and go.”

Martha Stewart Living

Fortunately at such an exclusive kennel the owners are likely to be able to afford the pet care their animals need. Martha is a known animal lover, owning Chow Chow dogs, French Bulldogs, Himalayan cats, and Friesian horses which she often features in her magazine and show. In April 2008 Martha’s Chow Paw-Paw died, and she blogged about it, featuring a few pictures of her pet’s last days that are touching.