It's Rough Out There: Home At Last hit twice for Cans in single night
Wait a minute, that can’s not empty!
By Tom Peterson
Not one but two perpetrators were caught on video cameras stealing aluminum cans and bottles at Home At Last humane society on May 25, and the tapes have been handed over to The Dalles Police Department, according to police reports.
“It appeared to be a coordinated effort,” said Linda Orcelletto, spokesperson for Home At last. “We’ve seen an increase in theft. They either cut the fence or squeeze through; they’ve even climbed over the roof and tossed bags of cans to their buddies.”
It really hurts Home at Last’s ability to care for animals as the deposits from bottles and cans bring in some $177,000 per year to the non-profit.
Images above show the massive amounts of cans and bottles that have to be sorted. The first picture shows before and the second after. The point is many volunteer hours go into this effort, only to be hampered by thieves.
Orecelletto said many of the cans and bottles are safely locked in a semi-trailer, but the overflow remains behind the fence. She said the shelter is in need of another locking storage unit of some sort to better protect the bottles and cans. She also said the shelter could use additional help with the fencing as it could be beefed up, making the recyclables safer from theft.
She said it was disheartening for volunteers who come in and sort the cans and bottles in an effort to help animals, only to have them stolen later.
Having fun at Dimes for Dogs Walkathon.
Home At Last also saw an outpouring of bottles and cans at it Dimes for Dogs Walkathon on Saturday, May 21.
“This underscores the need to find sustainable funding for the Shelter,” said Orcelletto. “If we don’t have to constantly put efforts into raising money (only to get things stolen), we can focus on our mission to help the animals.”
