Over 40 Dogs Killed in Heartbreaking New York Rescue Shelter Fire
A devastating fire tore through a New York dog rescue facility on Thursday night, killing all the animals inside, officials reported.
Just before 1 a.m., Canton Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Robert Crowe stated that crews responded to Maple Ridge Kennels on State Highway 68 in Canton, a village about 130 miles northeast of Syracuse, near the U.S.-Canadian border, after a passerby noticed flames and called 911.
Upon arrival, firefighters encountered intense flames in the kennel housing No Dogs Left Behind, a non-profit dedicated to rescuing dogs from the international meat trade. “Unfortunately, due to the volume of fire, the animals housed in the building perished,” the department shared in a social media post. The Associated Press later reported that more than 40 dogs lost their lives in the blaze.
The organization, which is headquartered in New York City and led by founder Jeffrey Beri, expressed deep sorrow in a post on social media: “We are terribly heartbroken. Each dog was a member of our family. Tragically, they are victims once again. We have no words to express our grief.”
No injuries were reported among firefighters or civilians.
According to the group’s website, No Dogs Left Behind works across Asia to save dogs from the illegal meat trade, rescuing animals from slaughterhouses, dog meat trucks, wet markets, and traffickers. Their mission goes beyond rescues, advocating globally for stricter animal welfare laws and a cruelty-free world where no animal suffers exploitation for commercial goods.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the St. Lawrence County Fire Investigation Team.
