The Harmony Township fire that claimed the life of four family pets on Sunday included a dog that gained local fame after a restaurant patron left the pup's owner a $1,000 tip to help pay for his vet bill.

New Jersey State Police Capt. Stephen Jones said Eric and Christina Summitt were living at the 2804 Belivdere Road residence. The fire occurred while the Summitts were not home, Jones said, and appears to be accidental. An unattended slow cooker appears to be where the fire started, Jones said.

Christina Summitt and neighbor Anne Ganley suffered smoke inhalation, Jones said. Firefighters, he said, tried twice to enter the home -- once through the basement and a second time through an upstairs bedroom window. Both attempts were unsuccessful, Jones said.

Summitt said on Monday night that she and her husband were gone for all of five minutes before the fire started.

"I did everything to try and save them," she said, adding she punched in a window in an attempt to get inside the house but couldn't make it. " ... I don't know why this happened. They could have taken everything from me. Just not my babies."

Christina Summitt was working April 19 at the Holiday Inn in Clinton when a couple at the bar asked her about her pets after catching a glimpse of her paw print tattoo.

Summitt previously said her cheery facade cracked during the discussion as she was under stress of a looming $3,000 vet bill for Tucker, her Labrador and Great Dane mix which had swallowed a small ball. Summitt shared her story with them and received good wishes. She said she nearly fell over when she caught sight of the tip left behind: $1,000.

Tucker, Summitt said, was adopted about the same time as her other pup, a pit bull named Mona.

Authorities say the Summitts also lost two cats in the fire.

Seleena Hernandez, founder of Pibbles and More Animal Rescue, wrote about Summitt's losses on Facebook and said Mona, Tucker and the cats Captain and Charlie "were her entire life."

Hernandez, who said Summitt has been an advocate for rescue animals and adopted from Ridgewood, New York-based Pibbles and More Animal Rescue, set up a YouCaring.com page to fundraise and "help Christina and her family try to rebuild and put the pieces of their lives back together."

"We know we can't bring her babies back, but we can help show them some love and support during this tragic time in their lives," Hernandez wrote.

As of 10:45 a.m., the website raised close to $3,500, with goal of $20,000.

Summitt on Monday night said she has found some solace in the kind words left in phone calls and on social media.

"All the phone calls and Facebook posts mean the world to me," Summitt said. "They really do."