Detroit-area animal shelter seeking help after man allegedly steals from donation box
WARREN, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) — I Heart Dogs Rescue and Animal Haven is hoping to stop theft from its nonprofit animal shelter after a man is accused of stealing donated returnable bottles and cans.
Co-founder Diane Reeves says revenue from donated items has surpassed $100,000 over the company's nine years of operation.
"We had about a 20-percent decrease in the amount we were getting, but the donations were still streaming in," Reeves told CBS News Detroit. "Then we noticed a man who had been coming for months, and realized he was not a volunteer."
Reeves says the man told a volunteer he was using the money to give away to others, and when she told him that he was stealing from the nonprofit he left.
"We put so much hard work into everything we do, and that's just, ya know, a gut punch," Reeves said. "Everything we doing is giving and helping. And to have them do that it's just shocking."
Since I Heart Dogs opened its doors, it has helped over 4,000 dogs find permanent homes. According to Reeves, the price of caring for an individual dog ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
"We need every dollar that we can get," Reeves said. "That's why this is just so horrible."
The shelter hopes to raise enough money for new security measures, such as better lighting, which Reeves hopes will deter robberies like this.
"We have that really old, yellow lighting," Reeves said. "Maybe if we updated that people would be less likely to take things."
If you would like to donate to I Heart Dogs, visit the shelter's website.