Crime & Safety

Kitten Stolen from Stamford Animal Shelter


A four-week-old kitten was swiped from the Animal Control Shelter in the Shippan section of Stamford on Tuesday afternoon.

Shelter Director Laurie Hollywood said the gray domestic short-haired tabby was taken from the cage where its mother had been caring for it sometime during the afternoon July 2. The male kitten—light gray with darker gray tabby markings—was last seen by shelter staff about 11 a.m.

"It should be nursing from mom. The mother was crying all night because the kitten was missing," Hollywood told Stamford Patch. "All kittens and puppies should be nursed by their mothers until eight weeks. It is illegal to adopt or sell kittens or puppies that aren't eight-weeks-old."

Hollywood said it is impossible the kitten—the only one born to its mother—could have escaped on its own because of the cage it was in at the 251 Magee Ave. facility.

"I would hope whoever took it would return it to the shelter. It would be healthier for the kitten to be with the mother," Hollywood added. "If they wanted it, all they had to do was apply to adopt it and go through the right process."

Hollywood said the theft of the kitten has her and her staff reconsidering their open door policy allowing visitors to view the animals available for adoption.

"I would hate to do it because of one person but we may have to set up standard visiting hours when people are supervised, even though it's not convenient for everyone. When something like this happens it makes me think we should have surveillance when our new facility is built," Hollywood also said. 

Hollywood added that she was glad no one had applied to adopt the tabby. "I would hate to have to call a family with a little boy and girl and tell them the kitten they were going to adopt isn't available" and explain why.



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