Kansas wildlife orphanage hit by break-in ahead of fundraiser

LINWOOD (KSNT) - Operation Wildlife (OWL) which helps injured and orphaned wildlife in Kansas, was the victim of a recent burglary.

Diane Johnson with OWL told 27 News the wildlife center had one of its storage units broken into during the nighttime hours of Aug. 12-13. The thieves used a bolt cutter to access the storage unit, causing a large mess in the process.

"Of course, they trashed the unit - ripping open boxes, tossing things around, dumping cat litter and just making a mess of things," OWL wrote on social media.

OWL reported a $5,000 to $10,000 loss due to the incident. Many of the items taken were due to be auctioned away such as handbags, accessories, clothes, vintage Nintendo video games, vintage glassware and more.

"We were going to have an auction in December to raise money for new caging to come in compliance with USDA regulations but that is sorta nixed now," Johnson said.

Johnson said she filed a police report with the Eudora Police Department (EPD) following the theft. She said supporters of OWl have expressed outrage in the aftermath of the break-in with some offering to make donations for the auction.

"As a charity I would hope that they needed it more than we did," Johnson said.

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