Burglars Strike Animal Welfare League Pet Shelter
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Burglars struck the Animal Welfare League shelter on the city's South Side earlier this week.
Staff at the Animal Welfare League discovered the shelter at 6224 S. Wabash Ave. had been burglarized upon arriving Thursday morning.
The burglars took all the copper piping and coils in the structure of the building, as well as two air conditioning condensing units. Industrial air handlers were also damaged, the shelter said.
Damage estimates have yet to be finalized, but the shelter says funds that could have been used to help pets at the shelter will now have to go toward replacing stolen property and repairing the damage.
"Fortunately, no animals were harmed." Animal Welfare League executive director Linda Estrada said in a news release. "But with this weekend forecast as one of the hottest yet, we are struggling to keep the animals as cool as possible. In an already sluggish year with donations, this is a huge blow to us."
The Wabash Avenue pet shelter has been open for more than 70 years, and takes in more than 5,000 animals per year. But right now, the shelter cannot take any animals, because the lack of air conditioning places their safety in jeopardy.
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Animals are being redirected to the Chicago Ridge Animal Welfare League shelter, or the Chicago Animal Care and Control Department.
Anyone who wants to help recoup the losses suffered by the shelter is asked to call the Chicago Ridge location, at (708) 636-8586.
