Another day, another story about a delivery driver stealing a cat.
This time it happened in Charleston, South Carolina, and while local police worked quickly to identify the woman behind the wheel and arrest her, the feline is still missing.
Daniel and Liza Layfield said they knew something was wrong on Jan. 15 when an AirTag attached to their cat’s collar showed she was several blocks away. After checking their own security camera footage and video captured by other cameras on the street, they saw a local food delivery driver stop her car, scoop up four-year-old Willa, then drive off with her.
The woman tossed Willa’s collar and AirTag nearby. Thankfully, police took the matter seriously and the local community helped spread the word, leading to a quick arrest.
But there are two problems that are common to these thefts of opportunity: Willa is still missing, and the most severe charge police could lodge against the suspect is petty larceny. That’s a misdemeanor that carries light penalties (a fine and up to 30 days in county jail) on conviction. That’s not a deterrent.
We wrote about this problem just last week, when the quick recovery of a cat stolen by an Amazon delivery driver in the UK illustrated the difference a stronger law makes.
Stealing a pet in the UK can land the thief in prison for up to five years in addition to fines. Police are more likely to devote resources when the law gives them appropriate charges to file, and five years in prison would make most people think twice about impulsively stealing a family’s well-loved pet.
By contrast, most US states treat pets as property, meaning courts do not take into account their sentimental value, bond with their people, or trauma to animal and human when someone steals a pet. South Carolina is among those states: in that state’s penal code, petty larceny is a charge that applies when someone steals property worth less than $2,000.
The suspect, a DoorDash/Uber Eats driver, has not been helpful in the Layfield family’s efforts to find their feline family member. In the meantime, the family hopes a $1,000 reward will prompt someone to come forward, or that Willa turns up at a local shelter and has her microchip scanned.
“We want to find Willa, we want to know where she is. It’s going to be 20 degrees for the next several days,” Liza Layfield told the local NBC affiliate. “The idea of her being loose and on the run is horrific.”
Pain In The Bud 
I wake up to this shit again! Was this pos fired?!! I hope someone suggests to the owner to put a humane trap at house with something that smells like her covering trap and food inside. This is what i did when friends cat escaped by accident when workmen inside house.
LikeLike
Now I think they are doing it for the attention.
LikeLike
To M. I don’t know what the hell is going on with todays society. I just read a story that director Christopher Gans gets death threats because fans do not like the way his movies turn out! IT’S JUST A MOVIE!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Disconnected from reality and life. It’s pathetic.
LikeLike
Shared on X and Facebook
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cheers!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I contacted Liza and made couple of suggestions regarding a trap.
LikeLike
Wtaf is wrong with this woman? She steals the cat and discards the collar. Now she refuses to say where the animal is – that’s extremely worrisome.
If this were my cat – well, I won’t get graphic here.
LikeLike
I’m working on a post with an analysis of as many of these cases as I can find, because a couple things stood out to me:
– There are indeed cases in which the person responsible is arrested but the cat or dog is not recovered. Either the thieves refuse to cooperate, or they say they got nervous/had second thoughts and dumped the pet instead of bringing it back
– People should absolutely not wait for or depend on the police, Amazon, DoorDash or any other group. They are slow to respond and lack the urgency a situation like this requires
– In situations when the animal is recovered, it usually comes down to luck or relentless efforts on the part of the people whose pet was stolen
On that last one, I’m thinking especially of that Seattle area family whose cat was stolen by an Amazon Flex driver. The father took off work and spent two or three days methodically driving around, looking for the car he saw on his security camera footage. He eventually spotted it, then searched the area for his cat, where he found her cowering in some bushes after she’d been dumped.
In that case the driver refused to cooperate with the police or Amazon, her employer, and instead of trying to make amends she just tossed the cat. I don’t know how people lack the conscience to do things like that, but some do, and it’s not coincidence that they tend to be the same kind of people who steal well loved pets to begin with.
And, finally, the best thing is prevention: don’t let your cat outside without supervision. Easier said than done, I realize, and some people won’t consider it, but it is the best way to make sure this doesn’t happen.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I recently told you that a cat cafe took back the cat after someone called them. Most likely another cat or raccoon bit the cat.Cat was lucky as a cat nearby was killed by a raccoon few years ago. You know what owners told people before the cat was taken away? After the cat heals they will let it out again. Cat cafe got the whole story from people and the vet. They told owners they do not give a shit about cats. When you have a 3 story house you do not have to let the cat out in the garden. These former owners were put on a dna list sent that is statewide. Dna stands for do not adopt.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Speaking of Uber and others taxi-like companies they had a story that a high percentage of women get sexually assaulted or raped. What kind of people get hired? The car service that i use nearby have background checks on drivers.
LikeLike
This seeming trend is a great worry to me because we have to have almost everything delivered, which includes UPS deliveries. All our cats are indoor only, but there’s always a chance one might slip out – we have one who really wants out. And, many people have cats who will sneak out. Indoor only is of course best, but if a driver assumes that a cat outside means the cat isn’t being cared for, that’s just not always true.
LikeLike
I don’t blame you for being worried. The consolation is that millions of packages are delivered daily without incident. Maybe a sign on your porch or mailbox informing visitors that if they see a cat on the property, it’s not a stray? Or the classic “Smile, you’re on camera!”
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think the hubs did put up a security camera recently and may have plans for a sign. Maybe all drivers in all companies should have training that includes a statement that they are not to bother anyone’s cats, dogs, parrots; including possums, raccoons, and squirrels, trained hippos, etc. If they do see signs of actual abuse, like dogs chained constantly with no water or in bad weather, they should report it to the right authorities.
LikeLike
Oh, and great idea for a sign about any cats seen around here!
LikeLike
That is so heartbreaking and infuriating.
LikeLike
You make a good point in your comment to Leah. Heart-breaking though such cases are, they are statistically very rare; if they were very common, the media wouldn’t bother mentioning them. That’s no consolation to cat lovers whose pets are abducted, but I’m sure it’s true that the vast majority of delivery drivers are decent, honest folk, and the vast majority of cats live out their days without ever being abducted.
LikeLike