Police: Angry Pet Owner Stole Back Cat From Shelter
Man swung baseball bat at shelter employees who tried to stop him, police say
By OMAR VILLAFRANCA
Updated 7:54 PM CST, Tue, Nov 18, 2008
Technically, the man is not a "cat burglar." Dallas police call him a "cat robber."
Police said a man walked into the Dallas Animal Shelter at 1818 North Westmoreland Road, looking for his lost cat.
He signed his name in the log book, spotted his cat and then walked out.
Police said what happened next was caught on surveillance video.
"He got his own personal cat carrier and also got a bat out of his truck," said Dallas police Senior Cpl. Kevin Janse.
After putting the cat in the carrier, he tried to walk out.
Shelter employees asked the man to pay a $132 fee for rabies shots, boarding and a microchip implant.
Kent Robertson, a shelter manager, said the man was irate and started swinging the baseball bat when confronted.
"Normally they're very happy -- they're elated -- they found their cat. Some of them get a little heated, but never anything like this," Robertson said.
The man left in his truck. Instead of paying the $132 fee, the man now faces up to three felony charges.
"He could have paid the fines, learned his lesson and got his cat and go on his merry way, but unfortunately, he took the criminal route," Janse said.
First Published: Nov 18, 2008 7:26 PM CST
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