Victoria Police say the identity of a woman seen plucking a beloved cat from its home last week remains a mystery and are pleading with the public for more information.
Penelope, a black cat with a small white patch on its stomach and a purple collar, was stolen from the front yard of its home on the corner of Caledonia Avenue and Vancouver Street on April 26 at around 2 p.m. Security footage from the Victoria HarbourCats office, which is located next door to Penelope’s home, shows a woman with a cat carrier and a leash picking up Penelope and walking away.
Since footage of the catnapping was shared on social media and by local media outlets, there have been reported sightings of Penelope around Crystal Pool, Victoria High School, and as far away as the inner harbour near Belleville Street.
However, despite the media attention, Victoria Police say they haven’t received much in the way of tips and have yet to identify the woman seen in the video.
“We just need more information. We need someone to recognize that person or have noticed someone who has a cat recently that matches the description of Penelope,” Const. Cam MacIntyre of the Victoria Police Department told CHEK News on Monday.
Penelope is well-known in her neighbourhood as a friendly feline, often interacting with people and her disappearance has upset many in the community. She also happens to be the Victoria HarbourCats honourary “Harbour Cat” and can be found hanging out on the baseball team’s office porch in the summer.
“We know that it is a significant incident for members of our community and it is a concerning incident for us,” said MacIntyre. “We know that Penelope is a cherished pet.”
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Cat thefts are not entirely uncommon but are usually the result of an ongoing dispute between neighbours or family members, but what is uncommon is the fact that someone took Penelope in broad daylight.
“Typically what we see conflict over pets between family members or neighbours but it is very usual for us to see this, particularly the theft of animal in broad daylight,” said MacIntyre.
Should the woman be identified and located, MacIntyre said she could face theft charges and depending on Penelope’s condition, possibly animal abuse-related charges.
“The charges would be theft and then depending on the care of that animal, we could look at any animal abuse charges but of course that is totally speculative,” he said. “We have no information or indication to suggest that anyone has harmed the cat.”
Although there have been reported sightings of Penelope, MacIntyre said police don’t know where she was taken or the reasons behind her disappearance and stressed the need for more information.
“We just want to be able to identify the woman in the video,” he said.
Anyone with information regarding the suspect or Penelope’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Victoria Police Department at 250-995-7654 extension 1.
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Nicholas Pescod
