A cat named Peggy who was up for adoption at a Cobb County Petco is now missing, and the rescue group that placed her there says surveillance footage shows a man walking out with her in a carrier. Ponce de Leon Cat Rescue has filed a police report and is pleading with the public for any information that could bring Peggy home.
According to WSB-TV, Peggy was staying at the Petco store as part of the rescue's adoption program when she was allegedly taken. The rescue says surveillance video captured a man placing Peggy into a carrier before leaving the store, and that he and another person also made off with pet supplies on their way out.
Ponce de Leon Cat Rescue has since filed a report with the Cobb County Police Department, which has assigned an investigator to look into the case, the station's report notes. The rescue is asking anyone with information about Peggy's whereabouts to come forward and contact either the organization or Cobb County police.
A Rescue Breaks Its Own Track Record
Per the same account, Ponce de Leon Cat Rescue says it has rescued and rehomed hundreds of abandoned and neglected cats over the years without ever facing anything like this. The group says it has never experienced a situation like this before, underscoring just how unusual and upsetting the alleged theft has been for an organization built around placing vulnerable animals into safe homes.
Channel 2 Action News was set to air a report Tuesday afternoon examining concerns for Peggy's welfare, starting at 4 p.m., according to the article.
Not the First Petco Adoption Cat Reported Stolen
Cobb County's case echoes a similar incident out West. In Longmont, Colorado, a 7-month-old cat named Mandarino was reported stolen from a Petco store while awaiting pickup by Soul Dog Rescue for treatment, according to kdvr.com. That rescue said the thief broke a cat enclosure inside the store before taking the kitten, and witnesses told the rescue the suspect left in a white Ford truck.
Longmont police are using surveillance footage to identify the person responsible for Mandarino’s disappearance, kdvr.com reports. It remains unclear whether the Cobb County and Longmont cases are connected in any way, and no such link has been reported.
For now, Ponce de Leon Cat Rescue's focus remains on finding Peggy and getting her back safely. Anyone in the Cobb County area with information has been urged to reach out to the rescue or local police as the investigation continues.
