From inside Puppy Playpen on Ellicott Street, it sounded like the sky was falling. 

At first, people inside thought maybe there was some construction going on outside. “Then there was another sound and everyone ran out, looking up at the roof,” said Bob Higgens, owner of the dog daycare center.

The chimney on the red brick building next door had collapsed and a wall had started to cave in, causing bricks to fall on Puppy Playpen’s roof. 

Higgens and employee Lucy Russem worked quickly to get their charges outside to safety.

Everyone inside the building, including the eight dogs, were able to escape safely.  

The building, which housed Two Wheels Bakery and Cafe and several apartments in addition to the dog care facility, will be closed until officials can determine it’s safe to re-enter.

"We think with the condition of the building, when it let loose it would pull more bricks with it and go in or across the street," said Buffalo Fire Division Chief Peter Kurtze. 

The American Red Cross is assisting the people who lived in the apartments above Two Wheels Bakery in the red building. 

Puppy Playpen will be operating from the company’s  second location on Delaware Avenue until their shop on Ellicott can reopen. 

Demolition contractors started working on the chimney and wall around 8 p.m. on Wednesday. They had finished picking up the bricks from the chimney just before 11pm.

Ellicott Street near Chippewa remains closed until the buildings can be ruled safe.