Good Samaritans are credited with helping to save 86 puppies from a Connecticut pet shop fire.

The fire started inside a detached warehouse full of sports equipment around 9 p.m.Thursday behind Puppy Love in Danbury, Connecticut.

Sean Silverman, the owner of Puppy Love, says a customer came running in and he ran to the basement to grab a wrench to bang down the door.

Around 200 people rushed into the store to help rescue the animals during the fire. One of them hails from Putnam County.

"We just started passing puppy cages out in the road of the building," say Kristen Huttunen, of Brewster. "They were two to a cage and they were all huddled up together, crawled up together, they were all barking. It was honestly kind of nightmarish."

Veterinarian Dr. Jeffrey Hubsher says all the puppies are doing fine.

The fire chief says people formed a human chain to wrangle the pups to safety.

The portion of the building where the dogs were kept only sustained smoke and water damage, officials say. However, the warehouse where the fire started was badly damaged, officials say.

Fire officials are still investigating the cause of the fire.

Silverman says the puppies are being housed in a vacant building next door. He says he may be able to move the puppies back as soon as Saturday.