Men snatch sweet kitten from a PetSmart in WA. Then cops track Booberry Matcha down
Two men stole a sweet and cuddly gray kitten from a PetSmart in Washington, worrying workers and the community until police tracked him down.
Booberry Matcha was returned Jan. 30, the Cats of Lynnwood PetSmart said in a Facebook post.
The page is operated by a nonprofit called Whiskers In Need, which manages the adoption room at the pet store.
One of the men snatched the 11-week-old kitten on Jan. 28, put Booberry Matcha in his jacket and walked out of the adoption center, the nonprofit said.
The incident was reported to police, who reviewed security cameras, tracked leads and then found the cuddly kitten.
“He’s busy cuddling with his siblings and telling them all about it. We cannot tell you how much we appreciate all of your support. This right here is a miracle,” the post said.
Booberry Matcha and his sister, Harvest Moon Lotus, were adopted Jan. 31 and are with their new family, Whiskers In Need President Sue Masser told McClatchy News by email.
The two kittens were already in the adoption process when Booberry Matcha was stolen, Masser said.
Masser has been a volunteer for the past 15 years, and she said she’s never seen an animal stolen like this.
Overall, everyone is relieved the kitten was returned safely.
“We unfortunately see a lot of terrible things done by people to animals and we were concerned,” Masser said. “Our hope was that they stole him to keep for themselves as a pet because he was so darn cute and friendly.”
Lynnwood is about a 20-mile drive north from Seattle.
