Kitten returned after N.D. pet store burglary

BISMARCK (AP) — Police in Bismarck are still working the case of a pet store break-in, but a kitten that was stolen has been returned.

Nine-year-old Baeylie Goetz of Sterling took the unnamed orange tabby in her light blue winter coat to the Animal Kingdom on Friday afternoon, the Bismarck Tribune reported. Her grandfather, Blaine Goetz, had been caring for the kitten since Wednesday after learning it was running through a Bismarck grocery store.

Store manager Kim Leingang said the kitten was the first animal stolen in a burglary, though others have been taken during store hours.

“I honestly didn’t think this one was coming back,” Leingang said.

Police said windows were smashed on three other businesses in the same part of town Monday night but the pet store was the only store that was breached.

Surveillance video from one of the businesses showed a man in a white sweatshirt, dark pants and a black ski mask run along the sidewalk carrying what appeared to be a crowbar. He smashed the windows on the businesses before hopping into a waiting car — described as an older, brown, four-door car.

Each business sustained several hundred dollars’ worth of damage.

Blaine Goetz was delivering Bessy’s Best milk to Dan’s Supermarket on Wednesday when he noticed the kitten and asked if he could have the animal.

Goetz thought a dairy would be a good place for a cat, but the kitten had runny eyes and was sneezing and he didn’t want to put it outside. He kept it inside and gave it some milk.

“He sure is a playful little thing,” Goetz said. “He’s jumping all over the place where he’s not supposed to be.”

Someone in the Goetz family saw an article in Thursday’s Bismarck Tribune, so Blaine called to see if it was the same cat.

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