Dog Yoga Calendar Spans New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut Amid Rescue Changes

A fire that shut down One Step Closer Animal Rescue has put beneficiary transparency at the center of Doggy Noses & Yoga Poses’ spring calendar, turning each class listing into more than a simple date and venue.

The organizer’s events page, published April 11, mapped out a run of sessions across New Jersey, Virginia and Connecticut, while warning that the rescue beneficiary for some classes could change depending on OSCAR’s recovery timeline. That matters because the schedule is built on direct links between each yoga class and a named rescue, and the OSCAR note makes clear that the charity side of the experience depends on how quickly the shelter can get back on its feet.

OSCAR’s own March 14 update said the rescue was starting up events and pet adoptions again and would keep adding new events as recovery progressed. That followed the February 11 fire in Andover, New Jersey, which destroyed the shelter building and killed three dogs, according to a fundraiser for the rescue. ABC7NY reported that OSCAR was caring for about 40 dogs at the time of the blaze, with four initially missing and later found.

The spring calendar still showed a wide regional reach. On April 11, a class at Three Danes Wellness in Mine Hill benefited Cold Nose Warm Heart, while a second session that same day at Brielle Sports Club supported CODAR. The next day, a collaborative event at Jersey Girl Brewing in Hackettstown was listed in support of OSCAR’s Shelter. The page also pointed to a Canines on Campus session at Montclair State University on April 14 benefiting JKRC Rescue.

The schedule continued into April 18 and April 19 with stops at Crunch Fitness in Clifton, Old Bust Head Brewing Company in Warrenton, Riverside Health and Fitness in Hackettstown, and YONO Willimantic with Quiet Float Corner in Connecticut. Together, the venues show how far the format has spread from its Belmar, New Jersey roots into a repeatable fundraising circuit.

Doggy Noses & Yoga Poses says its classes are 45-minute mixed-level yoga sessions with adoptable rescue puppies and dogs roaming freely off leash, followed by a 15-minute snugasana. The company says a portion of ticket sales goes to the participating rescue. Its about page says the project began as a one-time community service effort for Debra Furstenberg’s daughter and Husky House before growing by popular demand into a company launched in 2017.

The organization says it has raised more than $300,000 for animal rescues nationwide, and a later post put the total above $310,000. For charity-style dog yoga, the practical checklist is now obvious: confirm the listed rescue, watch for any beneficiary-change note tied to the rescue’s recovery, and make sure the event description spells out where the donation is going before booking.