A pit bull has been stolen from the Jefferson County Animal Control shelter in the 7100 block of Shelter Drive in Barnhart, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reports.
Between 5 p.m. Sunday (Feb. 8) and 7 a.m. Monday (Feb. 9), it appears that someone cut a chain that secured a gate to the property, forced open a door at the shelter that leads to kennels, removed a padlock to one of the kennels where the pit bull was being kept and took the dog, the report said.
The pit bull had been at the shelter since Feb. 3, following the arrest of someone that day who had the dog in a vehicle, said Capt. Ron Arnhart of the Sheriff’s Office.
He said the Sheriff’s Office had no one to release the dog to following the arrest, so the Animal Control was called to take it.
Arnhart said he didn’t want to release any more information about the Feb. 3 arrest.
During the burglary at the Animal Control shelter, it looked like the culprit opened a door to another kennel, and a chow-mix dog being kept in that one escaped, according to the report.
Arnhart said he didn’t have a value on the dogs.
The damage to the shelter, including a broken door and chain and the missing padlock, however, was estimated at $131, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
As of Tuesday (Feb. 10), there were no arrests, Arnhart said.
“We have prominent leads, but our investigation is ongoing,” he said.