Someone stole money and the safe it was in from a shop that benefits people in the final moments of their lives, an official says.

Joanne Adair, executive director of Hospice Greater Moncton, said someone who works at the store on Mountain Road discovered the break-and-enter Saturday morning. The door was smashed and there was glass everywhere.

She said the small safe was missing. It contained a "considerable" amount of money.

"To think that somebody has come in and stolen from us is just incredible and to think that it happened right before Christmas just boggles my mind," she said.

"It's particularly disturbing that somebody has taken away something from somebody who's dying. I just can't believe it."

Adair said the store raises money to help volunteers visit patients in palliative care.

Moncton police said the investigation continues.