Aussie animal charity workers were heartbroken after finding urine and smashed glass strewn across their ransacked premises on Tuesday night.
In an emotional video, Emma from Canberra Pet Rescue reports vandals stole items that were supposed to be given to animal foster carers or owners suffering financial hardship. She then turns the camera around and reveals shocking levels of mindless damage to multiple rooms.
“They’ve absolutely trashed this place… they’ve damaged the cat towers we had, everything,” she says. She then shows a soaked corridor with a fire hydrant and internal glass panels with holes smashed in them. Other rooms at the centre in Curtain, ACT, have been robbed of medical, neonatal and fundraising supplies.
Sobbing before the camera, Emma says the team are “very broken at the moment” and said she hopes they can recover. “To be quite frank, there’s only so much that a small charity can take,” she adds.
Police hunting for vandals behind shelter destruction
In a post to Facebook, the charity said three male offenders were seen at the premises, and reported they had threatened staff.
Supporters of the charity called the situation “heartbreaking” and “disgusting”. “This is awful! I’m so sorry,” another person wrote.
ACT Police told Yahoo News the offenders fled before they arrived, but “significant damage was observed” when they attended. They’re urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.
On Wednesday night, Canberra Pet Rescue was calling for public help to help them salvage items not ruined by the vandals.
The registered non-profit group aims to help house “pets in need” and provide them with a “stress-free environment”. They do not charge people who need to surrender their pets and rely on donations to help support their work.
If you’re able to assist the charity you can find them here.
Love Australia’s weird and wonderful environment? Get our new weekly newsletter showcasing the week’s best stories.
