Public rallies behind MA animal shelter devastated by fire

Dozens of animals were killed when a fire tore through an animal shelter in Paxton, MA, over the weekend.

Firefighters were first called to the “Sweetpea Friends of Rutland Animals” around 10:45 p.m. The fire chief said the building was completely engulfed by the time crews arrived.

At least five dogs and one cat were rescued.

“We were very fortunate to save just those”, Conte said.

On the Facebook page, the shelter is asking for donations of items including dog and cat food, toys, cat litter and cleaning supplies.

During the incident, Sweetpea used Facebook and Twitter to notify followers that the shelter had gone up in flames, pleading for volunteers and veterinarians to help. Brooklyn Skye, Jade and Divinci are at vet in stable condition. Stella is in critical condition and rushed to tufts.

At the moment, the cause of the fire is unknown, though owners said firefighters speculated it could have been electrical. Kitten the cat is stable.

Sweetpea is described on its website as a nonprofit, no-kill animal welfare organization founded in 2000.