Thieves take more than $500 from Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center, officials say
Aja Benninghoff walked into the Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center Thursday morning and was shocked by what she saw.
The front window was shattered and a donation box with about $500 was stolen, she said.
"It’s devastating for all of us here at the shelter," said Benninghoff, an office worker at the nonprofit facility at 705 E. Santa Barbara St. in Santa Paula.
The incident happened around 5 a.m. Thursday, she said.
Security footage showed two men in hooded sweatshirts using some kind of tool to shatter the glass, Benninghoff said. A 5-year-old rescue dog named Lola in a nearby kennel appeared to scare them, she said.
The reaction of the boxer/terrier/pit bull mix was audible in the video.
"She was loud and very scary," Benninghoff said.
The surveillance video, which captured the incident from several angles inside and outside the building, has been turned over to police, she said.
Window repairs were expected to cost about $1,300, she said.. Staff at the center believe more than $500 was in the donation box when the suspects broke in.
By Friday, a donor had paid to fix the window, Benninghoff said, and hundreds of dollars had been collected after news of the break-in spread on social media.
Lola, who remains up for adoption, wasn't injured, but the dog had moved her kennel quite a bit by the time staff saw her, Benninghoff said.
"You could tell she was a little distressed and upset," she said.
The shelter opened despite the incident but was a setback because the facility relies on donations, Benninghoff said.
Santa Paula Police Chief Don Aguilar said in a text message Friday he didn't have additional information about the case.
To donate, visit santapaulaarc.org.
This story may be updated.
Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Thieves hit Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center, officials say
