Seattle shelter broken into - animals killed, stolen, released

Cross-posted

If you can help, please send donations to the shelter - info at the end
of the article:
**************

Thieves kill shelter animals
Staff, pets shaken up after lizards stolen and cats released

By SCOTT GUTIERREZ
P-I REPORTER

Precious wasn't herself Sunday. The gray-and-white cat fidgeted and
hissed in Missy Young's arms shortly after being pulled from her
kennel.

"This cat would normally jump into anybody's arms," said Young, owner
and director of Animal Talk, a Roosevelt-area pet store and animal
shelter that was hit hard by thieves over the weekend.

They broke in and stole several lizards, killed 25 pet rodents and
released about 50 cats from their cages.

Precious, who suffered a scratched eye in the pandemonium, had been
through a lot. So had Young and her staff as they cared for a long list
of shellshocked animals.

The nightmare started early Saturday when Young found her front door
bolted shut and a business card left by Seattle police. While she
waited
for officers to return and let her in, she peered through the front
window to see a frenzy of cats, hamsters, gerbils and mice.

Cages had been opened or flipped upside down. About a dozen lizards
were
missing, including eight geckos, a ball python and Buddy, an iguana
whose glass cage had been smashed with a rock. Six cats were seriously
injured, having either been beaten or drop-kicked.

The floors were littered with dead gerbils and mice that had been
either
stomped by someone's foot or killed by the loose cats.

Thieves also swiped a dog bed, dog food and a digital camera used by
volunteers to post photos of abandoned animals on the shelter's Web
site.

"They decided to go shopping. They knew what they wanted. They took
what
they wanted and the rest of this was for entertainment -- and that's
kind of scary," Young said.

Officers on patrol noticed the open front door of the 6514 Roosevelt
Way
N.E. store about 6 a.m. Saturday. The break-in happened sometime
between
then and 3:30 a.m., when a nearby pub owner closing for the night
remembered that things still looked normal, Young said.

A neighboring consignment store also was burglarized.

No one had been arrested as of late Sunday, police said.

Animal Talk's non-profit rescue shelter operates on donations and help
from volunteers. Young estimates it will take in about 1,000 stray or
abandoned cats this year.

About 30 volunteers turned out Saturday to help, said Lisa Hager, a
four-year shelter volunteer. Some stopped in tearful after hearing the
news. Others from the community came by to offer donations.

"This was just malicious as far as I can tell," Hager said. "This isn't
just (Young's) business, this is her livelihood."

While most of the mess had been cleaned up Sunday, many of the animals
remained traumatized. Several cats had fought during the mayhem. Young
and her staff will need to monitor the wounds for infections.

The shelter opted not to do adoptions Sunday to give the animals time
to
recover, Young said.

Several rodents had scurried into nooks and were still unaccounted for.
Staff members planned to set traps to recover them.

The damages likely will top $5,000, Young said. That includes the
$2,000
value of the missing lizards, $1,800 for enough antibiotics to treat
any
infections that surface and $1,200 for a temporary door to replace the
antique one the thieves smashed, she said.

On a bright note, staff members Sunday found a missing gecko that they
thought had been swiped.

Young worried about the Buddy, the missing iguana.

He's temperamental and known to bite with his small, serrated teeth.
The
bites can be vicious and someone not familiar with iguanas might get
bitten and retaliate. She hoped the thieves would decide to return him.

"Anyone who steps on little animals is going to be willing to step on
an
iguana if it bites them," she said.

HOW TO HELP

Donations can be made to Animal Talk Rescue, c/o Animal Talk, 6514
Roosevelt Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98115. For more information, visit
www.animaltalkrescue.org.

"-L." wrote in message
oups.com...
Cross-posted

If you can help, please send donations to the shelter - info at the end
of the article:
**************

Ugh, people suck! Sickos. I'll see what I can send.

Kelly

Sometimes, like after reading this, I'm embarrassed to be part of the
human race.

Rhonda

-L. wrote:
Cross-posted

If you can help, please send donations to the shelter - info at the end
of the article:
**************

Thieves kill shelter animals
Staff, pets shaken up after lizards stolen and cats released

By SCOTT GUTIERREZ
P-I REPORTER

Precious wasn't herself Sunday. The gray-and-white cat fidgeted and
hissed in Missy Young's arms shortly after being pulled from her
kennel.

"This cat would normally jump into anybody's arms," said Young, owner
and director of Animal Talk, a Roosevelt-area pet store and animal
shelter that was hit hard by thieves over the weekend.

They broke in and stole several lizards, killed 25 pet rodents and
released about 50 cats from their cages.

Precious, who suffered a scratched eye in the pandemonium, had been
through a lot. So had Young and her staff as they cared for a long list
of shellshocked animals.

The nightmare started early Saturday when Young found her front door
bolted shut and a business card left by Seattle police. While she
waited
for officers to return and let her in, she peered through the front
window to see a frenzy of cats, hamsters, gerbils and mice.

Cages had been opened or flipped upside down. About a dozen lizards
were
missing, including eight geckos, a ball python and Buddy, an iguana
whose glass cage had been smashed with a rock. Six cats were seriously
injured, having either been beaten or drop-kicked.

The floors were littered with dead gerbils and mice that had been
either
stomped by someone's foot or killed by the loose cats.

Thieves also swiped a dog bed, dog food and a digital camera used by
volunteers to post photos of abandoned animals on the shelter's Web
site.

"They decided to go shopping. They knew what they wanted. They took
what
they wanted and the rest of this was for entertainment -- and that's
kind of scary," Young said.

Officers on patrol noticed the open front door of the 6514 Roosevelt
Way
N.E. store about 6 a.m. Saturday. The break-in happened sometime
between
then and 3:30 a.m., when a nearby pub owner closing for the night
remembered that things still looked normal, Young said.

A neighboring consignment store also was burglarized.

No one had been arrested as of late Sunday, police said.

Animal Talk's non-profit rescue shelter operates on donations and help
from volunteers. Young estimates it will take in about 1,000 stray or
abandoned cats this year.

About 30 volunteers turned out Saturday to help, said Lisa Hager, a
four-year shelter volunteer. Some stopped in tearful after hearing the
news. Others from the community came by to offer donations.

"This was just malicious as far as I can tell," Hager said. "This isn't
just (Young's) business, this is her livelihood."

While most of the mess had been cleaned up Sunday, many of the animals
remained traumatized. Several cats had fought during the mayhem. Young
and her staff will need to monitor the wounds for infections.

The shelter opted not to do adoptions Sunday to give the animals time
to
recover, Young said.

Several rodents had scurried into nooks and were still unaccounted for.
Staff members planned to set traps to recover them.

The damages likely will top $5,000, Young said. That includes the
$2,000
value of the missing lizards, $1,800 for enough antibiotics to treat
any
infections that surface and $1,200 for a temporary door to replace the
antique one the thieves smashed, she said.

On a bright note, staff members Sunday found a missing gecko that they
thought had been swiped.

Young worried about the Buddy, the missing iguana.

He's temperamental and known to bite with his small, serrated teeth.
The
bites can be vicious and someone not familiar with iguanas might get
bitten and retaliate. She hoped the thieves would decide to return him.

"Anyone who steps on little animals is going to be willing to step on
an
iguana if it bites them," she said.

HOW TO HELP

Donations can be made to Animal Talk Rescue, c/o Animal Talk, 6514
Roosevelt Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98115. For more information, visit
www.animaltalkrescue.org.

On 9 Oct 2006 23:57:51 -0700, "-L." wrote:

Cross-posted

If you can help, please send donations to the shelter - info at the end
of the article:
**************

Thieves kill shelter animals
Staff, pets shaken up after lizards stolen and cats released

By SCOTT GUTIERREZ
P-I REPORTER

Precious wasn't herself Sunday. The gray-and-white cat fidgeted and
hissed in Missy Young's arms shortly after being pulled from her
kennel.

"This cat would normally jump into anybody's arms," said Young, owner
and director of Animal Talk, a Roosevelt-area pet store and animal
shelter that was hit hard by thieves over the weekend.

They broke in and stole several lizards, killed 25 pet rodents and
released about 50 cats from their cages.

Precious, who suffered a scratched eye in the pandemonium, had been
through a lot. So had Young and her staff as they cared for a long list
of shellshocked animals.

The nightmare started early Saturday when Young found her front door
bolted shut and a business card left by Seattle police. While she
waited
for officers to return and let her in, she peered through the front
window to see a frenzy of cats, hamsters, gerbils and mice.

Cages had been opened or flipped upside down. About a dozen lizards
were
missing, including eight geckos, a ball python and Buddy, an iguana
whose glass cage had been smashed with a rock. Six cats were seriously
injured, having either been beaten or drop-kicked.

The floors were littered with dead gerbils and mice that had been
either
stomped by someone's foot or killed by the loose cats.

Thieves also swiped a dog bed, dog food and a digital camera used by
volunteers to post photos of abandoned animals on the shelter's Web
site.

"They decided to go shopping. They knew what they wanted. They took
what
they wanted and the rest of this was for entertainment -- and that's
kind of scary," Young said.

Officers on patrol noticed the open front door of the 6514 Roosevelt
Way
N.E. store about 6 a.m. Saturday. The break-in happened sometime
between
then and 3:30 a.m., when a nearby pub owner closing for the night
remembered that things still looked normal, Young said.

A neighboring consignment store also was burglarized.

No one had been arrested as of late Sunday, police said.

Animal Talk's non-profit rescue shelter operates on donations and help
from volunteers. Young estimates it will take in about 1,000 stray or
abandoned cats this year.

About 30 volunteers turned out Saturday to help, said Lisa Hager, a
four-year shelter volunteer. Some stopped in tearful after hearing the
news. Others from the community came by to offer donations.

"This was just malicious as far as I can tell," Hager said. "This isn't
just (Young's) business, this is her livelihood."

While most of the mess had been cleaned up Sunday, many of the animals
remained traumatized. Several cats had fought during the mayhem. Young
and her staff will need to monitor the wounds for infections.

The shelter opted not to do adoptions Sunday to give the animals time
to
recover, Young said.

Several rodents had scurried into nooks and were still unaccounted for.
Staff members planned to set traps to recover them.

The damages likely will top $5,000, Young said. That includes the
$2,000
value of the missing lizards, $1,800 for enough antibiotics to treat
any
infections that surface and $1,200 for a temporary door to replace the
antique one the thieves smashed, she said.

On a bright note, staff members Sunday found a missing gecko that they
thought had been swiped.

Young worried about the Buddy, the missing iguana.

He's temperamental and known to bite with his small, serrated teeth.
The
bites can be vicious and someone not familiar with iguanas might get
bitten and retaliate. She hoped the thieves would decide to return him.

"Anyone who steps on little animals is going to be willing to step on
an
iguana if it bites them," she said.

HOW TO HELP

Donations can be made to Animal Talk Rescue, c/o Animal Talk, 6514
Roosevelt Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98115. For more information, visit
www.animaltalkrescue.org.


This is one reason why I have been active to try to convince the
legislature to increase the penalties for intentional abuse and
torture of animals. Unfortunately, we have one legislator who is in a
key position and always tries to stop those measures. He has some
disturbing views on many varied subjects. The last time I saw his name
in the paper it was because he pointed a loaded gun at a constituant
during an argument.

One can argue about the appropriateness of what people like PETA want,
but we are talking about intentional torture here. We have seen cases
like this go to trial in my state. In one instance the "fine" was
about $36 as I remember, no jail time. This was calculated on the
basis of one cat being worth about $1.50. Other instances have been
similarly mild in their treatment of obviously disturbed and violent
criminals.

The teenaged boys who did this for fun learned a valuable lesson. That
lesson is that our legal system has some significant loopholes. Wonder
when they will graduate to hurting humans?