GREEN BAY, Wis. (NBC 26) — A man was charged with stealing Bleu, a black and white tuxedo cat.
It's the second time in less than a year that police reported a cat was stolen from Elizabeth Feldhausen's Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary in Green Bay.
Authorities say the incident was last week and Bleu was returned the next day. Police arrested and charged 21-year-old Marquise Stephens with felony theft and mistreating animals. According to the criminal complaint, Feldhausen told investigators it's believed that the suspect put Bleu in a duffle bag and left.
She said the suspect is a regular visitor at the sanctuary.
"A lot of the employees were in tears," Feldhausen said. "I guess one emotion that would be fitting would be panic."
BACKGROUND: The cat's out of the bag: Green Bay's Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary says stolen cat returned
Feldhausen was at the suspects' initial court appearance Monday afternoon.
"This cat is part of our family," she said. "It's a family member to us."
NBC 26 could not find a phone number for the suspect. The Safe Haven CEO says she was called to make a victim statement and was never given the opportunity to do so in court.
"If I would have made a statement, I would've liked to talk about how animals are not disposable," Feldhausen said.
She says there are a number of places where someone can get a cat for free.
Last April, police reported that two women stole a kitten from the same cat cafe. That cat was found alive.
"It's becoming a trend and I think that's why it's even more important that we get the word out there," Feldhausen said.
In an effort to keep cats like Bleu safe, Feldhausen installed alarms on Safe Haven's doors. She's also working to get better cameras.
"Animal rescues and nonprofit organizations shouldn't have to go through these types of measures," she said.
