Pet store disaster robs family of work, home

BEACH PARK – Debbi Storczer of Beach Park fondly remembers going into Happyland Pet Center, 11432 Wadsworth Road in Beach Park, to purchase crickets – and leaving with a long-haired German shepherd puppy. Gypsy was born on the same day as Storczer’s triplets; it was practically fate.

“My kids and my husband were all looking at me like, ‘Mom, how can you not get her!’” Storczer recalled. “I buckled. We came home with a new dog.”

Another customer, who has frequented the location for the past 20 years, used to bring his son in every day to look at the cats and puppies.

Memories like these can be found all across Lake County as residents mourn the loss of Happyland, a small family pet shop that burned down Sunday, May 20. All that remains of the two-story building now is rubble; remnants of pet store products and family belongings – including a partially burned sequined prom dress – reminding the county of how swiftly unexpected disaster can change lives. The fire’s cause has not been determined.

Happyland owners Mike and Nancy Zobrist lived above the pet store and have now moved in with their daughter, Kristina, down the street. While no one was harmed in the fire, animals inside the store including snakes, guinea pigs, hamsters, birds, mice and a parrot were not so lucky, and all perished in the flames. The snakes and parrot were family pets, and have since been found and buried.

“[When we heard of the fire], we ran down here right away,” said family friend Gloria Arispe of Waukegan. “All we could do is cry and cry. We watched it go from top to bottom.”

Arispe joined other neighbors Wednesday at a fundraiser benefiting the family. A tent was set up for donations. The donation drop-off continues through Friday, May 25, at the former Happyland site. Donations for the Zobrist family also can be dropped off at Casey’s Corner, 1540 N. Green Bay Road in Waukegan, where Nancy works part time.

“Nancy and Mike had a heart of gold, they would do anything for anyone,” Arispe said while at the donation tent. “That’s why we’re here today; we’re paying it back.”

The Beach Park Fire Department responded to a 6:06 a.m. call Sunday about the fire and rushed to the scene, which quickly escalated. Initial fire department units on site included Newport Township, Waukegan, Zion and Winthrop Harbor. More than 15 fire departments and 70 firefighters from across Lake County and southern Wisconsin were on the scene to battle the fire. The blaze was so hot that firefighters had to be withdrawn from the building.

“It was so unsafe for firefighters,” said Paul Tierney, Beach Park Fire Department fire chief. “We had to have an excavator come in – because we had a roof collapse and a couple walls collapse – to take down the remainder part of the building so we could get to all of the fire and extinguish it. You don’t want to jeopardize your firefighters’ safety by putting them in where they could be hurt or killed. We went into what we call a defensive mode and continued our fire suppression efforts from that capacity.”

Tierney said that while they know the fire started in the basement, it’s going to be a lengthy investigation process to determine the cause.

Campanella & Sons in Wadsworth razed the building after the fire department declared it a total loss.
"That was at our direction," Tierney said. "It was an emergency situation."

With the building gone, it’s easy to see the extent of the loss. Groups of onlookers can often be seen across the street, tearful and hugging each other. Cars regularly slow down so drivers can survey the damage as they pass. While the Zobrist family has suffered a great loss of their business and home, the community has suffered a loss as well.

“It was a small business that we all supported and I loved going there,” Storczer said. “We got several of our ‘family members’ from there. It’ll be missed. You got to know the owners, you got to know their pets. I hope they can rebuild soon.”

Arispe echoed the sentiment.

“I just hope they can rebuild,” she said. “There’s a lot of memories here.”