Three Miami pet stores vandalized in one night
MIAMI - Police are searching for at least one person who allegedly vandalized a trio of Miami pet stores Saturday night, and the stores' owners want to know why they were targeted, reports CBS Miami.
At each store, the vandal broke windows, sprayed graffiti and damaged other property, including a company van, according to investigators.
Police are searching for a man seen on surveillance video from one of the stores spray-painting the word "sick" outside the store. Investigators don't have a suspect in the case, and say the man who was caught on camera had a shirt tied around his head, obscuring his face.
"When I come in, all glass inside the cages," said Gasualdo Rangel of the Paws and Bones pet store.
Rangel said he confronted men selling puppies on the side of the road on June 13, telling them it was illegal to do so. He told CBS Miami he fears the vandalism might be retaliation.
The owners think the vandal may associate their stores with puppy mills.
"It's weird that it's just pet stores - and three of them. I don't know if it's someone that does not agree with us, that we sell puppies," said Delia Nessy of Puppies of Kendall.
But Puppies to Go owner Natalie Alvarez defended her store's practices.
"We get all these dogs from private breeders. They have this whole process to make sure the puppies are taken care of - health certificates, veterinarians up to date," said Alvarez.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS.