UPDATE: A local animal rescue in Hamburg, New York, is reeling after an alleged break-in attempt was caught on camera early Saturday morning. The Ten Lives Club, a prominent cat rescue and adoption group, is urgently seeking community support to enhance security and ensure the safety of the animals in their care.
Founder and executive director Marie Edwards was alerted to the disturbing incident via her Blink Camera app while out of town. “I was appalled,” Edwards stated. “It was very scary to see the camera and the people; I don’t even believe they were kids. They looked like they were 18 to 20 years old, walking over to our property.”
Surveillance footage shows a group of four individuals, some wearing masks and hoods, attempting to break into the Ten Lives Club building and also targeting an adjacent vacant property. Edwards confirmed, “We’re in negotiations to purchase it right now. We don’t need any damage or anything broken or our animals hurt.”
Fortunately, the intruders were unsuccessful in gaining entry, but they did manage to vandalize two security cameras. “They reached up to one of the cameras and tried to take it down,” Edwards reported. “They got some footage of their faces, so hopefully, the police can work with that.”
“The fact that someone, or multiple people, would try and break in and possibly jeopardize the well-being of our cats is just disappointing and heartbreaking,”
said Kelly Sinclair, community development manager at the rescue. “We’re pretty angry, to be honest.”
In response to the incident, Ten Lives Club is ramping up security measures, including boarding up windows and implementing additional lighting. “We have someone going over and putting up boards on all of the windows,” Edwards added. “We’re going to be extra vigilant here at our building.”
The rescue is also seeking donations to upgrade their camera system to better protect the facility. Community members are encouraged to assist in this urgent effort. If you have any information regarding the break-in attempt or can identify the individuals in the footage, please contact the Hamburg Police Department at 716-364-2035.
The safety of the animals at Ten Lives Club hangs in the balance, and your support could make a crucial difference. Stay tuned for further updates as this story develops.
