Thieves steal, kill animals in U-District pet store
[SIZE=-1]October 8, 2006 [/SIZE]
[FONT=verdana, arial,geneva]SEATTLE - Owners of a University District pet store and animal shelter are cleaning up and wondering who would come in and kill some their animals and steal others. [/FONT]
Thieves broke into Animal Talk Saturday night and stole reptiles, let birds out of their cages, and stomped on small animals like mice and gerbils.
"I hope (the thieves) burn in hell," said store owner Michelle Young. "This is really bad karma for them."
Young says the thieves broke in to steal snakes, iguanas, geckos and bearded dragons. Then the thieves opened the cages of more than 100 animals -- and as some of those animals ran free, the thieves killed them.
"I think as an afterthought, they decided it would be fun to let out all the animals and then they stomped on a bunch of the small animals and dumped out all the cages and opened all the bird cages and let all the cats out," Young said.
Animal Talk in Seattle's University District is both a pet store and a shelter. They take in stray and unwanted cats and try to adopt them out.
Some of the cats were badly injured in the melee, and it might be a while before they are healthy enough to go to new homes.
"It hurts. It really does hurt and it scares me that someone could do this," said volunteer Elspeth Gotz.
Volunteers who help out in the rescue center were stunned when they got the news that the store had been robbed and vandalized.
"I actually suspected it might be some misguided animal rights person, but it sounds like it was just your garden variety dirt bag," said volunteer Mary Woodring.
The store's owner told us she lost thousands in the robbery between what was stolen and all the damage. But she added it's much harder to put a price tag on the emotional side of it.
http://www.komotv.com/stories/45866.htm
[SIZE=-1]October 8, 2006 [/SIZE]
[FONT=verdana, arial,geneva]SEATTLE - Owners of a University District pet store and animal shelter are cleaning up and wondering who would come in and kill some their animals and steal others. [/FONT]
Thieves broke into Animal Talk Saturday night and stole reptiles, let birds out of their cages, and stomped on small animals like mice and gerbils.
"I hope (the thieves) burn in hell," said store owner Michelle Young. "This is really bad karma for them."
Young says the thieves broke in to steal snakes, iguanas, geckos and bearded dragons. Then the thieves opened the cages of more than 100 animals -- and as some of those animals ran free, the thieves killed them.
"I think as an afterthought, they decided it would be fun to let out all the animals and then they stomped on a bunch of the small animals and dumped out all the cages and opened all the bird cages and let all the cats out," Young said.
Animal Talk in Seattle's University District is both a pet store and a shelter. They take in stray and unwanted cats and try to adopt them out.
Some of the cats were badly injured in the melee, and it might be a while before they are healthy enough to go to new homes.
"It hurts. It really does hurt and it scares me that someone could do this," said volunteer Elspeth Gotz.
Volunteers who help out in the rescue center were stunned when they got the news that the store had been robbed and vandalized.
"I actually suspected it might be some misguided animal rights person, but it sounds like it was just your garden variety dirt bag," said volunteer Mary Woodring.
The store's owner told us she lost thousands in the robbery between what was stolen and all the damage. But she added it's much harder to put a price tag on the emotional side of it.
http://www.komotv.com/stories/45866.htm
