An animal-loving couple in View Royal was disheartened by the theft of a BC SPCA donation box over the weekend.
David Paul, owner of the BC SPCA Thrift Store on Admirals Road, and wife Erika Paul-Hancomb were woken around 1 a.m. Sunday morning to alerts that the thrift store alarm had been set off.
They arrived, along with police, to find the glass front door had been smashed and the donation box for the BC SPCA stolen.
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The box contained about $50 and was the only item taken from the store.
“They did all that to get so little,” Paul said, noting that the door will likely cost him a few hundred dollars to fix, even with insurance. “I’m angry that someone smashed our front window to access our stuff, let alone only taking what they did.”
Erika, a BC SPCA animal control officer, says the incident shows how desperate people can get.
Holding senior rescue dog Peewee in her arms, she says it’s sad to see someone stealing donations from an organization such as the SPCA.
“It’s that sense of violation, but more than anything, it’s … sadness,” she said. “If somebody has to do that, to be so destructive for change … aside from the fact that they are taking away from animals that need help … it’s desperation. Somebody needed money.”
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The couple said a number of people have stopped by to show their support or offer donations to help with the door and replace the money stolen.
“Even having people come in and [providing] moral support, that really means a lot to us,” Erika said.
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