Bikers Against Animal Cruelty
| Rewards offered for return of puppy KEILA TORRES ktorres@ctpost.com Article Last Updated: 04/11/2008 10:55:13 AM EDT BRIDGEPORT — The dognapping of a brown-and-white beagle from the city's animal shelter last Friday night has sparked concern from activists across the region. Earlier this week, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Connecticut, based in Monroe, offered a $1,000 reward to anyone who returns the dog to the shelter on Asylum Street or provides information about its whereabouts. Now, Bikers Against Animal Cruelty, a group of motorcycle enthusiasts based in North Haven, is offering an additional $500 for the safe return of the 2-month-old puppy. That's why it seemed fitting to name the female pup Justice, according to Melissa Kuian, office manager at the Bridgeport shelter. Kuian said many people have rallied to give the missing dog a name, including Fred Acker, director of the SPCA. "We are handing out fliers to practically everyone who comes in," she said. The fliers, featuring a still image of Justice from a video taken on Kuian's cell phone, were a donation from the bikers' group. The shelter has also been flooded with donations to replace missing items stolen by the burglar, including a digital camera donated by SPCA volunteers to take images of the animals for the Web. Animals in Distress, a Wilton-based rescue group, will also make a donation to the pound, according to member Connie Henrici. Other items taken in the burglary include a computer, a bag of dog food, a locked gun case containing a tranquilizer gun, and all of the cat rescue group cards in Kuian's card catalog. Even groups outside Connecticut have taken notice and have tried to raise awareness about the alarming number of animals in the area stolen so far this year. The American Kennel Club, a nonprofit organization in New York, issued a press release this week on ways to prevent a dog from being targeted. The group was surprised by the break-in at the Bridgeport shelter because its officials were not aware puppies were being stolen from pounds also, Daisy Okas, the club's assistant vice president of communications, wrote in an e-mail. The organization reports that "in the first three months of 2008, the AKC has tracked more than 20 thefts from news and customer reports, versus only nine for all 12 months of 2007." For images of Justice, visit the Bridgeport Animal Control Web site at www.bacf.petfinder.com and click on the link. Source: Connecticut Post (ConnPost.com) - http://www.connpost.com/localnews/ci_8884628 |