A Texas man broke into the Abilene/Taylor County Animal Services shelter and freed a large number of the facility’s 150 dogs last Friday. The suspect climbed the shelter’s fence early in the morning, entered the building through the roof, and opened many of the canine cages.
Abilene Police Department officers arrived on the scene around 7 a.m. at 925 S. 25th street. Police found several injured dogs and one dead. It is believed that after their cages were opened, the dogs fought, injuring each other.
The man also caused damage to the inside office area and the section of the roof through which he entered.
Officials said the suspect then fled the scene by stealing a van owned by the shelter. It was later recovered in north Abilene.
Police successfully found and arrested the alleged culprit, who was identified as George Paul Jones, 38. He has been charged with “the break-in, animal cruelty, and theft of a motor vehicle,” according to a Facebook post. He is being held at the Taylor County Jail.
The affected shelter, The All Kind Animal Initiative, is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving animal welfare in Abilene.
The shelter explained, “We are extremely thankful for the Abilene Animal Services employees, the Abilene police department, and the All Kind volunteers that rallied to recapture and provide immediate care and assistance to the dogs as well as clean up and repair the destruction to the building.”
It is currently unknown what Jones’ motivations were.
