Russian emergency workers have rescued hundreds of cats and several dogs from a fire that engulfed an animal shelter.

The Emergencies Ministry said its team quickly responded to Friday's fire on St. Petersburg's Vasilyevsky Island, evacuating 300 cats and seven dogs from the shelter.

It didn't specify whether any of the animals in the shelter was hurt.

The ministry said it took 2½ hours for 37 emergency workers and 10 engines to extinguish the blaze.