Fourteen dogs in a western Canadian pet daycare and boarding facility died yesterday after a mechanical malfunction caused heat to continuously enter their kennels, the organisation said.

The Playful Paws Pet Center in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, said in a Facebook post a "travesty of life" happened, and its staff are reaching out to the dogs' owners.

"We love our dogs and each of our team is trying to personally cope with this terrible loss," Playful Paws said on its Facebook page.

The centre did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It is not immediately clear how long the heat was on before the dogs died or whether the centre would compensate the owners.

Local police said the incident does not warrant the involvement of law enforcement.

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