On Sunday morning, April 15, two pet cats -- each from a different house
-- disappeared from Wagner Road in the southern end of the
Southpark neighborhood of Morgantown (Chancery Hill). They were both young females who spend
much time outside and both cats habitually stayed very close to home. Unlike
male cats, neither cat was a roamer. Neither cat had ever disappeared before.
They were both very friendly and trusting with strangers. They did not usually
spend time together, but they both disappeared on Sunday morning.
There are probably a number of possible explanations for their disappearance, but the only really
plausible explanation for their simultaneous disappearance is that someone deliberately
picked them up.
Why would this happen? Again, the most plausible explanation is that someone is picking up
and selling cats to research laboratories. This is a nation-wide problem. More information on
this practice can be found further down on this webpage.
But the immediate purpose of this website is four-fold.
~~~ 1. To discover whether other pets have disappeared under suspicious circumstances recently in the
Morgantown area.
~~~ 2. If yes, then it is important to spread the word that this is happening so that local pet owners
can take measures to protect their animals.
~~~ 3. To identify research laboratories in the Morgantown area which use cats and dogs, and establish a
civil working relationship with them, so that owners of missing pets can check with them easily and
make certain their pet has not become a test animal by mistake.
~~~ 4: To identify individuals who might be kidnapping pets in order to sell them.
Please don't send information about your pet unless its disappearance is unusual. If you have a male cat
who periodically disappears, or a dog who habitially gets loose, this is not the best website for you.
If, on the other hand, your pet has never, or only rarely, disappeared before, send me a discription of its appearance,
including a photo, if you have one, where your pet lives, and where & when it was last seen. I will
post your information on this site.
We especially want to know if more than one animal from a neighborhood has disappeared, at the same time, or around the same time.
I will list missing animals by neighborhood, to help determine if there is a pattern to disappearances.
The other information which we need is a list of research laboratories in the area. Given the
prominence of medical facilities, the university medical college, and drug companies in Morgantown, there are probably quite
a number of labs. Let me stress that we do not want an adversarial relationship with any lab. We
need their cooperation. It is also in their best interest to remain on good terms with pet owners.
They don't want to acquire anyone's pet by mistake.
Please help by distributing this information by email or leaflet to the following recipients:
~~~ Morgantown pet owners.
~~~ Morgantown pet stores.
~~~ Morgantown veterinarians.
Be sure to include in your message the name & address of this website: PET THEFT IN MORGANTOWN, at http://www.scuttlebuttsmallchow.com/pettheft.html
Information & photos of missing Morgantown pets will go here.
Two young female cats, each from a different house -- disappeared from Wagner Road in the southern end of the
Southpark neighborhood of Morgantown (Chancery Hill).
~~~~~ NOEL, a small tortiseshell female whose markings divide her face down the middle in an amusing
fashion. Very friendly, fearless even with strange dogs, grew up on a farm. ~~~~~ Please call 292-1184 or email
skipper@labyrinth.net if you have information.
~~~~~ [name unknown at present; will provide as soon as we have information]. Another small
female, though a little larger than Noel. Black & white "tuxedo" cat with unusual triangle-shaped
black marking alongside nose which makes her look like the Strawman in the Wizard of Oz. Very
friendly with strangers. ~~~~~ Please call 292-1184 or email
skipper@labyrinth.net if you have information.
Both of the above cats disappeared from Wagner Road in Morgantown on Sunday morning, April 15, 2007.
If you believe your pet has been stolen, take the following action:
Obtain the names and numbers of laboratory animal departments of universities
and hospitals in your area from your local town hall or from the Yellow Pages.
(As we discover such labs, we will post that information here).
Go to the labs and describe your animal to laboratory personnel. Post a photo of
your animal in the laboratory. Also, post a photo in animal departments and in
academic departments that include animal labs (i.e. most biological science and
psychology departments).
File a police report with your local police department or sheriff's office. If
you suspect that your animal has been stolen, report it to the police
immediately. A police report will be useful for identification purposes when
retrieving your pet and will prove helpful in court if a suspect is brought to
trial. If the authorities are hesitant to prepare the report, remind them that
pets by law are valuable “property” and their theft is either a felony or
misdemeanor under all state laws. By law, the police must take action on your
complaint. Be persistent.
If several animals in your neighborhood have
turned up missing, contact the police. Provide them with as much detailed
information as possible.
Call 1-800-STOLEN PET, a pet theft hotline operated by In Defense of
Animals, that may be able to provide assistance.
Call your local animal
welfare organizations to report the theft.
EXPERIENCES WITH LOCAL RESEARCH LABS
Have you tried contacting any local research labs to check on a missing pet?
How did it go? Tell us about it, and we will post your description here.
EXPERIENCES WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS
Have you reported a missing pet to the local police?
How did it go? Did they file a report? Tell us about it, and we will post your description here.
What is pet theft? ~~~ It is estimated that 1.5-2 million dogs and cats are stolen
every year off the street, from owners' property and by deception through
"free-to-good-home ads". These family pets are taken by common thieves and
unlicensed dealers for resale.
How are stolen pets used? ~~~ Most are
used in biomedical research and testing.
Who steals pets? ~~~ Unlicensed
dealers and common thieves, collectively referred to as "bunchers". They may
sell directly to end users (biomedical researchers and others), or, more
commonly to USDA-licensed animal dealers, who in turn sell to end users.
How much is paid for stolen pets? Bunchers may get $10-$50 per animal
(depending on condition); licensed dealers $50-$700. Compensation can depend on
size, breed and condition.
How are pet theft statistics
obtained? ~~~ For over two decades, nonprofit animal welfare organizations have
been tracking incidences of pet theft. Initially, most tracking was done on a
local level. At present, some organizations track theft nationally. The figure
of 1.5-2 million has been extrapolated from reported instances of pet theft in
areas that have been closely monitored by these groups for many years. For
example, the organization Action 81 was established during the 70's in Virginia,
to combat pet theft along Highway 81. Action 81 and California-based In Defense
of Animals have since teamed up to operate a pet theft hotline that keeps record
of stolen pets all over the United States.
