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6 dogs die, 37 rescued from fire at animal shelter in Andover

A total of 37 others were rescued by staffers when the fire broke out Wednesday afternoon.

Chris Keating

Feb 12, 2026, 12:24 PM

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A fire at One Step Closer Animal Rescue in Andover, New Jersey killed six dogs.

Thirty-seven others were rescued by staffers when the fire broke out Wednesday afternoon.

The kennel that held the dogs was gutted by flames.

Leadership with the rescue better known as OSCAR, say that three other dogs that escaped into the nearby woods when the evacuation took place have been found.

All of the animals are now being cared for with the help of other shelters in the region, so staffers are now working quickly to get them connected with families.

As for the future of the rescue, the president of the rescue says they will rebuild.

“This is our life you know we are animal lovers this is everything to us.. this is our baby we work very hard for this shelter and this is devastating,” said rescue president Cassie Kowalchuk.

Donations are pouring into a GoFundMe account for One Step Closer Animal Rescue.

The money will go to temporary housing and medical expenses for their animals plus the entire rebuild.

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