On the evening of Sunday, December 1st, 2019, the Humane Society of Ventura County was broken in to and a kitten has gone missing, presumably stolen by the unidentified subject who is still at large.

The subject arrived at the Shelter on a possible white dirt bike. After surveying the property he entered the Cat Lobby by throwing rocks through a plate glass window. While the Shelter is staffed 24 hours with a caretaker on-site, no one heard the commotion. The following morning when staff arrived, they immediately saw the damage and attended to the terrified kittens that were loose in the cat lobby and kitten room.

In addition, several items were stolen at 1:00 a.m. from the HSVC property on February 9, 2020, by unidentified subjects driving a white vehicle.

We encourage anyone who may have information on the identity of either perpetrator to contact the Ojai Police Department at 805-646-1414.

The toll on the HSVC shelter, animals and staff goes beyond the dollar amount. Knowing some people would steal from a nonprofit animal welfare organization, such as the HSVC, will have no qualms of stealing from other businesses and individuals in our community. Even the theft of low-value items takes away from our ability to provide services to those in most need. The money spent on replacing the items comes from funds that would otherwise provide for the animals under our care.