The fire started in the first floor kitchen of the New Inn in Long Street at 3.20am on Saturday.

The fire brigade was called and firefighters from Easingwold, Thirsk, Acomb and York tackled the blaze, but were unable to save the puppy and reptiles.

Four people in the pub at the time were out of the building by the time the fire brigade arrived. The cause of the fire is thought to have been an electrical fault.

There was severe smoke damage to both the first and second floors, although the pub itself is thought to have escaped relatively unscathed.