Most nights, the three adult Havenese dogs would have slept inside their owner's spacious South Langley house.
But Lady's five puppies were old enough to be weaned from their mother's milk to puppy food, so on Tuesday night she, Santino and Essie were moved to the tack room of the small former horse stable in front of the family home in the 1000 block of 196A Street.
The room was heated and with the horses long gone, often served as a grooming area for the dogs.
It was Lady's first night away from her puppies.
During the evening, fire swept through the 900 sq-ft. three-stall structure, destroying it and claiming the lives of Lady, Santino and Essie.
The fire was reported around 9:45 p.m. and took two and a half hours to extinguish.
At the height of the battle, 25 firefighters from three halls were on the scene.
The case of the blaze was still under investigation Wednesday, but it was not considered suspicious, the township fire department said.
The grieving owner, who asked that her name not be published, said it was too early to say if she would have any more dogs after the tragic fire.
She described herself as a "hobby" breeder who viewed the three Havenese as house pets more than potential champions at dog shows.
Lady's five puppies, three female and two males, won't be kept because they have already been promised to other people, the owner said.