 Shelter vandalized, animals killed
New Braunfels, TX (US)Date: Jul 16, 2006
Local Map: available
Disposition: Open
Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!
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Residents hauling bags of pet food, cat box filler and other supplies lined up to donate the bags at the Humane Society Animal Shelter after a shocking weekend attack on the facility left three animals dead.
Police and shelter officials withheld many details, saying they did not want to harm the investigation.
Sometime between about 8 p.m. on the night of July 15 and 8:15 a.m. July 16, the shelter was broken into and the interior was trashed.
In addition to the three killed animals, two others were injured and two apparently escaped. All the animals in the shelter were let out of their cages and were roaming the grounds, contained by a perimeter fence.
The vandals wrote graffiti on the walls and splashed a liquid on them. About 5,000 pounds of pet food and 1,200 pounds of cat box filler were contaminated with a liquid and had to be thrown away.
Shelter officials and police would not describe the dead or injured animals or say how they were killed.
"When I arrived on the scene and looked down the hallway, I saw one of our officers and I said 'Please tell me this place is under construction,'" said police Detective Jesse Villarreal. "It was really torn up.
"We are all thinking it might be kids," Villarreal said. "I think it's safe to say it was more than one person, based on the amount of damage that was done."
Villarreal said police have few leads and no suspects.
Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment. A local resident also offered to add $1,000 more to the reward Tuesday, but Crime Stoppers cannot advertise that money until it is deposited in an escrow account with the organization.
Anyone with details about the crime can call Comal County Crime Stoppers at (830) 620-8477. Anyone who wants to add money to the reward can call Crime Stoppers board member Teresa Nitschke at (830) 620-3411.
Shelter Director Cheryl Krueger said one of the injured animals is in critical condition at an area clinic.
A dog missing from the shelter was spotted in the neighborhood around it, but an animal control officer could not catch it, she said.
Thanks to support from the community, the shelter should be up and running within a day or two and with more food and supplies than it had before the attack.
A steady stream of volunteers showed up throughout the day, stacking and storing tons of donations that were coming in and scrubbing the walls and floors throughout the building.
"It's hard to believe someone would do this," said Craig Pearce, who was helping Tuesday. "It just doesn't make any sense."
Pearce was helping stack donations of pet food. By 11 a.m., the room where the food is normally stored was filled and volunteers were stacking the bags in other areas of the shelter.
Krueger said cleaning supplies, shop vac filters and cash are still needed.
The attack was a setback for the local Humane Society at a critical time, she said. The wastewater treatment plant next door is preparing for an expansion, and the animal shelter will lose the lease on its land in two years. With nowhere lined up to move, the shelter faces an uncertain future.
To help with monetary donations, visit http://humanesocietynewbraunfels.com/ Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
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