SAYREVILLE –  Animal Rescue Force has reported the theft of two two kittens — Maggie and Berkley — over the weekend from their adoption center in the borough.

On Sunday afternoon, volunteers were busily helping visitors at the shelter, which is on the grounds of the Sayrebrook Veterinary Hospital. Animal Rescue Force (ARF), which is there on weekends, shares the facility with another adoption center, Sammy’s Hope Animal Welfare and Adoption Center.

“It was very busy,” volunteer manager Amy Ray said. “Berkley’s mom was getting adopted and Berkley was in the cage with his mom and sibling. The new prospective owners and the volunteers were in and out of the cage.”

A couple arrived at the shelter but soon parted ways, she said. The woman showed interest in 8-week-old Berkley, a neutered male. The man then distracted the volunteer by asking for help in another area of the shelter. The female, who was holding Berkley, left the shelter. The man followed, she said.

“When I pulled up, everybody was screaming that they stole the kitten,” Ray said.

The incident was reported to police, who are investigating.

After hearing the description of the pair, Ray realized that they had visited the shelter late in the day Saturday and the next morning, a second black kitten, 10-week-old Maggie, was missing.

On Sunday morning, Ray said she received a call from a shelter manager who noticed that Maggie was missing from her cage. At first, Ray said she thought the kitten had gotten out of the cage and was in the facility, but after checking, they came up empty-handed.

“It was the same thing,” Ray said. “The two were walking around together and then they split up. I saw one of our volunteers talking to the male. The female went into another room. Then they just left. They were only in our adoption center for about eight minutes. We had different volunteers, so no one would have known they came on Saturday, too.”

The male is described as being about 180 pounds and between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-9. He has shoulder-length dark hair and dark eyes with a tattoo on his right forearm, Ray said. The female is described as being about 4-foot-10 to 5 feet and between 90 and 110 pounds  She has mid-length black hair and brown eyes. She has a tattoo on one shoulder. She was wearing a pink skirt, white shirt and a pink sweater with white flip-flops Sunday.

Get the Daily Briefing – Bridgewater newsletter in your inbox.

Start your day with the morning’s top news

Delivery: DailyYour Email

The couple reportedly entered a black 2006 to 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix with a Pennsylvania license plate on the back. A surveillance camera outside the site shows the car but not the plate number.

Ray said she rescued and fostered the kittens.

“I’ve had Berkley for about three weeks and Maggie I’ve had for a month,” she said.

Volunteer President Susan Ragland said all of the animals put up for adoption are vetted prior to adoption. The typical cost for adoption of kittens is $100, which includes spaying or neutering, she said.

“Nothing like this has ever happened in the more than 40 years we’ve been doing this,” she said.

source:landofcats.net