Dog, supplies, thousands in checks and cash stolen from Moscow animal shelter

A person reportedly broke into the Humane Society of the Palouse in Moscow and stole their former dog, thousands of dollars in cash and checks as well as supplies sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning, according to the Moscow Police Department and HSoP.

MPD Capt. Will Krasselt said police have a male suspect, who allegedly owned the dog, but did not locate him as of Wednesday morning.

HSoP Director Sierah Beeler said the person cut a hole in the outdoor dog kennel’s chain link fence, shattered the glass in a door, pulled the door off its hinges and entered the facility. She said the person ransacked the building, pulling out items from file cabinets and dumping them on the floor.

Ultimately, the dog, a pitbull; about $6,000 in checks and $350 in cash; and supplies were stolen, Beeler said.

Beeler said $60 in cash and most of the stolen supplies were recovered by Moscow police on the hill south of the HSoP toward Moscow Cemetery. The dog, most of the money and some of the supplies remain missing.

She said the pitbull was initially found at-large in southern Latah County near the boundary of Latah and Nez Perce counties.

Beeler said the HSoP made contact with the dog’s owner shortly after the pitbull was found. She said the owner said he planned to pick the dog up but he never did. The HSoP called the owner every day following the initial contact but never heard from the man, Beeler said.

She said the Moscow animal shelter has a six-day holding period when a dog is found in the county. After six days, the dog enters the adoption process. The holding period was explained to the man, who seemed calm and not very upset on the phone, Beeler said.

She said the property damage to the facility should be covered by insurance.

Beeler asked that people who recently donated checks to the HSoP cancel the checks. For questions, call the HSoP at (208) 883-1166.