More Than 40 Dogs Killed in Fire at US Rescue Group's Kennels

This picture made available by Canton Fire Department FaceBook, shows a building on fire in Canton, N.Y., Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (Canton Fire Department via AP)
This picture made available by Canton Fire Department FaceBook, shows a building on fire in Canton, N.Y., Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (Canton Fire Department via AP)
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More Than 40 Dogs Killed in Fire at US Rescue Group's Kennels

This picture made available by Canton Fire Department FaceBook, shows a building on fire in Canton, N.Y., Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (Canton Fire Department via AP)
This picture made available by Canton Fire Department FaceBook, shows a building on fire in Canton, N.Y., Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (Canton Fire Department via AP)

More than 40 dogs were killed Thursday when a fire swept through a rescue organization's kennels in northern New York, authorities said.
The fire at the No Dogs Left Behind building at the Maple Ridge Kennels in Canton was reported at about 1 a.m. by a person who saw the flames while passing by the property, fire officials said. Flames overran the structure and killed the animals before firefighters could save them, the Canton Fire Department said in a Facebook post.
According to The Associated Press, No Dogs Left Behind said its members were heartbroken.
“Each dog was a member of our family,” the group said in a social media post. “Tragically, they are victims once again. We have no words to express our grief.”
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear and was under investigation by St. Lawrence County officials. No firefighters or other people were injured, authorities said.
The house-like building included kennels inside with a play area outside. No Dogs Left Behind has video on its website showing dogs also running around grassy fields with paths on the large property.



Think 'Brain Rot' Summed Up 2024? Oxford Agrees it Was the Word of the Year

FILE- In this Aug. 29, 2010 file photo, an Oxford English Dictionary is shown at the headquarters of the Associated Press in New York. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones, File)
FILE- In this Aug. 29, 2010 file photo, an Oxford English Dictionary is shown at the headquarters of the Associated Press in New York. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones, File)
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Think 'Brain Rot' Summed Up 2024? Oxford Agrees it Was the Word of the Year

FILE- In this Aug. 29, 2010 file photo, an Oxford English Dictionary is shown at the headquarters of the Associated Press in New York. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones, File)
FILE- In this Aug. 29, 2010 file photo, an Oxford English Dictionary is shown at the headquarters of the Associated Press in New York. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones, File)

Many of us have felt it, and now it’s official: “Brain rot” is the Oxford dictionaries’ word of the year.
Oxford University Press said Monday that the evocative phrase “gained new prominence in 2024,” with its frequency of use increasing 230% from the year before.
Oxford defines brain rot as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging.”
The word of the year is intended to be “a word or expression that reflects a defining theme from the past 12 months,” The Associated Press reported.
“Brain rot” was chosen by a combination of public vote and language analysis by Oxford lexicographers. It beat five other finalists: demure, slop, dynamic pricing, romantasy and lore.
While it may seem a modern phenomenon, the first recorded use of “brain rot” was by Henry David Thoreau in his 1854 ode to the natural world, “Walden.”
Oxford Languages President Casper Grathwohl said that in its modern sense, “’brain rot’ speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life, and how we are using our free time.”
“It feels like a rightful next chapter in the cultural conversation about humanity and technology. It’s not surprising that so many voters embraced the term, endorsing it as our choice this year,” he said.
Last year’s Oxford word of the year was “rizz,” a riff on charisma, used to describe someone’s ability to attract or seduce another person.
Collins Dictionary’s 2024 word of the year is “brat” – the album title that became a summer-living ideal.