Manchester Dogs' Home has received almost £600,000 worth of donations through a JustGiving page set up following a fire at the site that has left at least 43 dogs dead.

The charity, which owns dog homes in Manchester and Cheshire, has been inundated with support and donations after the fire, which started at about 7pm last night and ripped through the home killing a large number of dogs. Greater Manchester Police have arrested a 15 year-old boy on suspicion of arson.

It is thought that up to 100 dogs have died, while a further 150 were rescued from the site.

A JustGiving page set up by the Manchester Evening News to support Manchester Dogs’ Homes following the fire has received over £570,000 in text and online donations, and that number is continuing to increase.

A separate JustGiving page has raised over £35,000 to help the dogs affected.

The charity released a statement saying: “The staff and trustees of Manchester Dogs’ Home would like to express their enormous gratitude for the huge support received from the public following the devastating fire on site during the night.

“All of the surviving dogs are now in transit – the majority of them going to sister site Cheshire Dogs’ Home near Warrington – and those in need of veterinary treatment have been receiving it.”

Detective Inspector Neil Jones of Manchester Police said: “The response from the public has been overwhelming and this is clearly an incident that has tugged on the heartstrings of many.

“A number of people, including police officers and staff were quickly on the scene and put their life on the line to help with the rescue effort.

“We are determined to establish exactly how and why this fire started and will be working closely with our partners from the fire service.”

The charity's website has this morning been replaced with an urgent notice stating that its phone lines are down due to the fire.

Separate charity Dogs Trust is also supporting Manchester Dogs’ Home by rehoming a number of the dogs who got caught up in the fire, and accepting donations of food and blankets for all the dogs affected. The RSPCA has also offered its support.

On its Facebook page, Manchester and Cheshire Dogs' Homes praised other charities and organisations for their help in caring for the animals.

It wrote: "We owe a great thanks to Animal Wardens, Dogs Trust Manchester, Pennine Pen and numerous RSPCA inspectors for their assistance in transport to other kennels for the dogs that survived, there are too many individuals to thank by name."

Anyone wanting to donate food or items are being asked to bring them to the north Manchester police headquarters, and anyone with information about the fire should call police on 101.