6 Dogs Dead In North Jersey Animal Shelter Fire, Officials Say

SUSSEX COUNTY, NJ — At least six dogs were found dead after a fire tore through a Sussex County animal shelter this week, according to officials.

On Wednesday, around 4 p.m., a fire broke out at One Step Closer Animal Rescue (OSCAR), located at 155 Stanhope Road in Andover.

In an effort to save the dogs from the spreading fire, they were released from their kennels. Some dogs were suspected to be loose in the area, but they have since been recovered, authorities said.

Shortly after the fire started, OSCAR representatives sent out a plea on Facebook asking the public to come to the shelter and assist with animal evacuation. The shelter housed 43 dogs.

Several residents and local businesses rushed to the scene to help save the animals from the flames, including employees of Lakeside Construction, police said.

It was less than an hour later when Hopatcong police requested that no more people come to the shelter, saying that first responders were now actively helping with the evacuation.

Hopatcong Police Chief Meghan McCluskey said that many of the rescued dogs were relocated to Hudson Farm and Happy Tails Rescue in Hackettstown.

However, at least six dogs were found dead in the shelter once the fire was extinguished, and another was rushed to a nearby animal hospital to be treated for burn injuries, police said.

The origin of the fire is unknown at this time, and the incident is being investigated by the Hopatcong Police Department, the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hopatcong Fire Department, and the Hopatcong Fire Marshal.

OSCAR, which has been deemed uninhabitable following the blaze, is looking for support to “rebuild, relocate, and continue caring for the animals who depend on us.”

“As many of you have heard, our rescue recently suffered a devastating fire,” an OSCAR statement read. “While we are beyond grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of love and offers of donated supplies, we are facing a difficult reality that we currently have no facility space to store physical donations.”

A GoFundMe has been launched to help the shelter with veterinary bills and supplies to help support the displaced dogs.

“OSCAR exists for dogs who have nowhere else to go — the overlooked, the surrendered, the ones who just need time and love to shine. This fire may have damaged our building, but it will not destroy our mission,” the GoFundMe reads. “We owe it to the dogs we lost. We owe it to the dogs still in our care. And we owe it to every future dog who will need us.”

Those looking to support OSCAR further can reach out to oscaremergency2026@gmail.com to learn how.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article said that four dogs had died in the fire. A police update Thursday afternoon said that six dogs have been reported dead.