ANCHORAGE, Alaska: A house fire which killed a man has also left his 38 dogs homeless and facing a bleak future.

The sled dogs, owned by former Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race musher Barry MacAlpine, need to find new owners quickly. According to news website www.ktuu.com, the fire burned the husky pack's home to the ground and the local Animal Care and Control facility doesn't have the space to house them all.

At least one dog died by its owner's side in the blaze.

The victim's son, Norman MacAlpine, said originally he didn't hold much hope for finding new homes for all the dogs. However since then offers have started to trickle in. In the meantime he is running a makeshift adoption agency on his dad's property.

"I was told in the beginning there probably wouldn't be a lot of responses, but I've got a quite of bit of response," Norman said.

Following the blaze, neighbors rallied to ensure that the newly-homeless sled dogs, including four puppies, were fed and were given shelter.

According to Wikipedia, Alaskan huskies are popular as pets in Alaska, where they are relatively easy to obtain from professional dogsled racers. Puppies judged to be unfit for racing are regularly culled, and as a result they are often available free to any good home, if one can be found.

One problem with finding the right owners for these particular dogs is that they have never lived indoors and many are scared of people, according to reports. But in spite of this Norman said the adoption effort is going better than expected.

According to Wikipedia, kept together tend to be vocal, howling and barking at each other and any other dogs in the vicinity unless they are trained to be quiet. They reportedly can be trained for silence, albeit with some effort.

Huskies make relatively poor household dogs, Wikipedia says. They shed heavily during the spring and may be hyperactive, running in circles inside a house when bored or cramped. If left alone in a dwelling for long periods they may engage in destructive behavior out of boredom.

While MacAlpine personally led a simple existence, neighbors said he cared deeply about his dogs and treated them well. Locals told ktuu.com most of the dogs have good dispositions and would make fine pets if someone had the time and patience to train them.

"He was truly passionate about his dogs. He loved them so much. I think he fed his dogs better than he fed himself," neighbor Kurt Jokela told www.kvta.com.

"My father is a person who loved his dogs more than most anything," Norman Macalpine said. "He never raised his voice at them. They were his life, pretty much."

"I would very much like these dogs to go to a good home and not to the pound. And the thing is, if anyone contacts me in the near future, they won't have to deal with the pound and pay any fees," he said.

So far six dogs have been accepted into homes, mainly with other mushers who own existing sled dog teams. Five more canines are being treated for minor injuries at the animal shelter in Anchorage.