A burglar, cat or otherwise, stole a van over the weekend in East Point that an animal rescue organization uses to transport cats to the veterinarian and to stores for adoption, leaving a LifeLine Animal Project official yowling.
LifeLine field coordinator Mickie Blair acknowledged that the 2000 Dodge Caravan, which the nonprofit purchased just four months ago with $1,100, can be replaced once another round of donations can be raised. But she considers file boxes inside the van filled with microchip information, rabies certificates and cat adoption records going back a year irreplaceable.
"I just want to know what dumpster they put it in," Blair said. "Just tell where the file boxes are. I will dig through any dumpster."
Blair had delivered cat food and litter to an elderly volunteer in East Point late Saturday night and then decided it was safest to spend the night at a friend's residence nearby, to avoid driving on roads shared by St. Patrick's Day revelers. By 6 a.m. Sunday, the van was gone.
The van also contained cat supplies and carriers that Blair valued at $300, but she was less concerned about that than the records. "All that stuff," she said of the paperwork, "can't be replaced."
The van is considered virtually a satellite office for LifeLine, based in Avondale Estates, which holds as its mission to stop the euthanasia of healthy and treatable dogs and cats in metro Atlanta animal shelters.
In addition to providing care to homeless dogs and cats and spay and neuter services, as well as serving as a pet adoption resource, LifeLine operates Catlanta, a program for feral and stray cats that has provided more than 13,000 below-cost sterilizations and vaccinations.
For information or to help, contact Blair at 678-914-4364 or mblair@lifelineanimal.org.
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