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There are bronze plaques worth approximately $19,000 stolen From missouri The Humane Society’s Memorial Park, according to a local news report.
Plaques that pay tribute pets and animal lovers Those who have passed are scattered along a brick path at Carroll Gates Throop Memorial Park in St. Louis.
According to local outlets, what was supposed to be a place to remember loved ones and dear friends turned into a suspected crime scene when Missouri Humane Society volunteers noticed Tuesday morning that 54 of the more than 100 plaques were missing. ksdkWho spoke to the non-profit organization.
“Our first reaction was we were shocked because something like this had never happened before,” Laura Keller, chief communications officer for the Missouri Humane Society, told the outlet.
The Missouri Humane Society has been advocating for the welfare of animals since 1870. Carroll Gates Throop Memorial Park is located on the grounds of the nonprofit organization’s former headquarters.
Robin Dexter, marketing manager for the Humane Society of Missouri, told KSDK, “This is the location of our original building, where millions of animals were adopted out. And now we have hundreds of dogs walking through it every day. So it’s very sad.”
The bronze plaques that were stolen were valued at $350 a piece, bringing the total value of the allegedly stolen items to $18,900. The Humane Society said the suspected theft has also hurt them financially as the nonprofit relies entirely on donations.
Dexter called the theft “heartbreaking” and “a truly horrific incident.”
“A lot of people don’t have a physical place to come and remember their pet, and a lot of people like to do that by leaving a brick here,” Dexter said.
The nonprofit has filed a police report, but tracking down the alleged thieves may be difficult because there were no surveillance cameras in the area.
“We did not have security cameras at our park, but we are definitely looking at increasing our security measures moving forward,” Keller said.
Independent St. Louis Metropolitan Police and the Missouri Humane Society have been contacted for comment.