Urgent: Local Animal Rescue Faces Break-In Attempt, Caught on Camera

UPDATE: A local animal rescue in Hamburg, NY, is urgently seeking community assistance after a shocking break-in attempt was caught on camera early Saturday morning. The Ten Lives Club, a cat rescue and adoption organization, reported the incident that has left both staff and volunteers shaken.

The founder and executive director, Marie Edwards, was out of town when she received a notification from her Blink Camera. “I was appalled,” Edwards stated. “It was very scary to see the camera and the people, who appeared to be in their late teens to early twenties, approaching our property.”

Surveillance footage shows a group of four individuals, some masked, attempting to enter the Ten Lives Club building. They also targeted a neighboring vacant structure that the rescue hopes to acquire for expansion. “We’re currently in negotiations to purchase it,” Edwards added. “We don’t need any damage or anything broken or our animals hurt.”

Fortunately, the intruders were unsuccessful in entering the rescue but did manage to destroy two surveillance cameras in the process. Edwards noted, “They reached up to one of the cameras and tried to take it down, but we got some footage of their faces, so hopefully the police can work with that.”

Community development manager, Kelly Sinclair, expressed the emotional toll of the incident, saying, “The fact that someone would try to break in and jeopardize the well-being of our cats is just disappointing, heartbreaking, and we’re pretty angry, to be honest.”

In response to this alarming event, the Ten Lives Club is enhancing security measures around the building. “We’re putting up boards on all of the windows and have increased vigilance,” Edwards explained. “We’ve advised our staff to check everything before leaving, and we’ve installed a stadium light next door that activates if anyone pulls up.”

The rescue is now appealing for donations to upgrade their camera system to bolster security further. Community members who wish to contribute can do so directly through their website.

Authorities are urging anyone with information about the incident or the individuals captured on video to contact the Hamburg Police Department at 716-364-2035.

This incident highlights the urgent need for community support in safeguarding local animal welfare organizations. The Ten Lives Club is committed to protecting the vulnerable cats in their care and ensuring that such a breach of security does not happen again.

Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops.