SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Springfield police are looking for the public’s help to find whoever broke into the Dakin Animal Adoption Center and stole three caged birds.

Sgt. John Delaney told 22News that someone threw a cinder block through the window of the 171 Union Street animal shelter sometime between 8:00 and 9:00 Tuesday night.

The thief or thieves stole two cages containing three birds: a pair of parakeets named “Donna” and “Scotty,” and a cockatiel named “Precious.”
“We feel terrible on a number of levels,” said Candy Lash of the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society.
Lash told 22News that they have been dealing with the problem of vandalism at their facility in recent months, including broken windows. She said that this has forced them to spend money on repairs that could otherwise be put to use caring for their animals and serving the community. More troubling, Lash said, is the fact that it is unclear just what has happened to these birds. “These are living, breathing creatures, and we don’t know where they are,” she said. Lash said they are focused on getting the birds back safely. She would like to see them dropped back off at their facility. If you have information on the birds’ condition or where they might be, call Dakin at (413) 781-4000. If you have any information that can help police to catch the thief or find the birds, call Detective Mike Carney at (413) 787-6355 or you can anonymously text a tip.