Monkey, 22 dogs rescued from burning Phoenix home

PHOENIX - Twenty-two dogs and a monkey had to be rescued from a Phoenix home after the house caught fire Thursday night.

Chris Koudelka and her husband, Gary Mitchell, live at the home near 35th Avenue and Bethany Home Road.

Koudelka said the small Marmoset monkey is a therapy pet used to help with her husband's Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. 

Koudelka said the monkey helps prevent her husband from having panic attacks.

Koudelka said the majority of the dogs, all Chihuahuas, are part of a rescue operation she runs out of her home.

"Most of them are rescue dogs and of course we try to place them, but a lot of times people don't want them because they're old and they want puppies, so we're kind of stuck with them," said Koudelka.

Koudelka said all of the animals made it out of the home and were not hurt.

Fire investigators believe the fire started after embers from a wood burning fire place made it into the attic through a vent.