Tragic Fire at Sweet Pea

     On November 22nd at 10:45 pm a fire broke out and engulfed Sweet Pea no-kill animal shelter in flames. Firefighters did their best to get rid of the flames and save the animals. They were only able to rescue five dogs out of all of the animals. At about 11:45 pm, While the staff were treating the dogs for smoke inhalation the firefighters extinguished the flames and did their best to rescue cats and other dogs. Unfortunately, they were too late and they couldn't be saved. 

     Some of the cats were able to flee to the woods during the event, so cat carries were set up with food in hopes on bringing the cats out of the woods. Two of the dogs that were being treated sadly died. There were about 50 animals lost in the fire.

     During the fire, staff tweeted and posted to facebook asking for help and to bring supplies "this is not a drill". Volunteers showed up with blankets and water for the animals, and also water for the firefighters. They said most of the dogs who fell were smaller breeds. Fire officals from not only Paxton, but, Spencer, Leicester, Oakham and Holden showed up to assist.

     The first theory was believed to be an electrical cause to the fire but, now some are guessing Arson comes into play. How someone could set fire to an animal shelter is beyond me. Shelter director, Richard Clark said Sweet Pea will need a lot of help getting back on it's feet. They added a "wish list" to amazon, including items like pet food bowls, paper towels, canned dog and cat food. He said gift cards to pet stores would also be helpful. 

     With the holidays coming, everyoneshould  be in the giving spirit, so whatever help you can would be appreciated by the animals and the staff.