Arrest made after donation box stolen from veterinary hospital in South Hills
A woman accused of taking a donation box filled with hundreds of dollars from a veterinary hospital in the South Hills last week was arrested.
Pleasant Hills police charged a Baldwin woman with theft by unlawful taking, officers told KDKA-TV on Wednesday night. The department said it could not yet share the individual's name.
The donated funds totaled around $500, according to Dr. Ashley Smith-Miller, the owner and veterinarian at Pet Vet 365 South Hills. The money was for the Pet Vet 365 Daisy Fund, which helps pets that need financial assistance to receive medical care.
"Any robbery is bad, but just taking it from animals just seems so much worse," Smith-Miller said.
Video shared with KDKA-TV shows a woman walking in, grabbing the donation box, putting it under a piece of clothing, then walking out last Friday.
"It felt almost like a violation, a gut punch, really, and just kind of disbelief because you want to believe that people are good. But you know in this day and age, I guess anything's tempting," Smith-Miller said.
The clinic shared the video on Facebook on Wednesday in the hopes of finding the person responsible. Unbeknownst to them, police had already located who they believe took the cash and made an arrest.
"I feel good," Smith-Miller said. "It's still sad, and it's still sad that those funds are gone. My hope is that this will bring attention to the Daisy Fund, and we'll be able to have more donations so we can help more pets."
Asked whether she plans to make any changes in the future, she called the experience an awakening, adding that the vet hospital has learned a lesson in securing donations and not keeping the bulk of funds up front.
