A thief was caught on camera stealing puppies from an animal shelter. The audacious break-in and burglary occurred early Friday morning at a DeKalb County animal shelter, police said.
According to employees at the PAWS Atlanta, located on the 5200 block of Covington Highway, the shelter has been battling a slew of nighttime animal abandonment, so they have been watching their cameras more.
Around 3 a.m. Friday, someone wearing a hoodie was spotted walking suspiciously back and forth around the shelter. Employees said the sound of broken glass could be heard. Alarmed, they called the police.
They discovered upon arrival at the shelter that the back door’s window was smashed with a rock, and crates were left open.
The thief got away with three puppies. He took two puppies named Violet and Emilia and a toy Yorkie. Employees speculate that the man would have made off with a fourth puppy, but he dropped it in the shelter’s off-leash area.
Dogs that were believed to be worth money were targeted, said the shelter employees.
“I’ve been here 15 years, and this is something I never thought it would happen,” Shelter Manager Laura McKelvey told FOX 5.
Sadly, the stolen Yorkie was already promised to someone. The pet adoption was set to happen in just days.
Contact DeKalb County police with any information about the crime.
