A shelter cat named Caramel was taken from MSPCA-Nevins Farm on Thursday afternoon. (Courtesy photographs)
A happy ending made possible through the power of social media. Just hours after a kitten named Caramel was kidnapped from Methuen’s MSPCA at Nevins Farm, the Internet mobilized to get the animal back to her shelter family.
Nevins director Mike Keiley said at a Friday news conference that the woman who walked off with the kitten in her purse was quickly identified through surveillance video and photos posted online. Methuen Police investigating the theft contacted authorities in Malden, where the woman lives, on Friday afternoon.
“We recognize that a bad decision was made, but in this case, a bad decision can be “unmade” by doing the right thing,” Keiley said, adding that two-and-a-half-month-old Caramel would be returning to Methuen to be fostered by a volunteer.
It is unclear what charges, if any, the woman who took Caramel may face.
“We see about 75,000 people in this adoption center each year. We’ve been here a hundred years and we can count on one hand the number of times an animal has been taken. It’s heartbreaking,” Keiley added.