Six Cops Storm Woman’s Home, Break Door Down With An Axe To Seize Cat

Now the cat’s caretaker is suing to get her pet back and says she’s worried the authorities will have the tuxedo shorthair euthanized. The RSPCA says it responded to serious concerns about the cat’s health.

Usually when complaints about UK police hit the headlines, it involves sheepish constables knocking to talk to a “suspect” about a social media post that offended someone.

This seems to be a whole different level of crazy, and neither the police nor prosecutors are denying that six police officers and an official from the RSPCA showed up at the North London home of Katherine Theodotou, chopped up the front door with an axe and charged in.

The 79-year-old Theodotu, through her attorney, said she was recovering from breast cancer surgery and couldn’t make it to the door quickly. The police, she said, came through the door just as she was reaching it and knocked her over.

They also provided images of the door after the May 27 “raid” on Theodotu’s home:

Theodotu says the police searched her entire home and an adjoining Greek school, which she founded.

The RSPCA and Metropolitan police tell a different version of the story, although they do not dispute the urgency and violence with which they entered Theodotu’s home. They say veterinarians who examined and treated Rita the cat had serious concerns about her health. Rita, who had a congenital condition, cannot use her back legs and requires special care. Theodotu’s attorney said the former human rights lawyer turned educator can prove she’s paid significant sums for Rita’s rehabilitation and care, including a recent veterinary surgery.

But veterinarians who examined Rita after the RSPCA took her found her condition “extremely concerning and consistent with a significant deterioration since discharge, alongside evidence suggestive of prolonged inadequate hygiene, nursing care, and monitoring within the home environment,” said Mark Townsend, an attorney for the RSPCA.

Theodotu is suing the RSPCA and the police for taking her cat and asking the court to prevent the RSPCA from potentially euthanizing Rita. Let’s hope the courts are able to sort out if the cat was receiving proper care and rule in the animal’s best interests.

In the meantime, the London Metropolitan Police should probably review whichever policy allows its officers to break into homes as if they’re ending a hostage situation, not collecting a cat. Unless a real life Jason Stathamesque character is barricaded in his home and making violent threats, it feels like one cop just to make sure everything stays civil and the temperature remains low would be the appropriate response. Two is overkill. Four is almost comical. But six? With an axe? Chopping the door down? Nah. You’ve gotta revisit your protocols, gov.

12 thoughts on “Six Cops Storm Woman’s Home, Break Door Down With An Axe To Seize Cat”

    1. Yes and that’s why it’s the court’s job to figure that out rather than have the media litigate it. That’s why my criticism was reserved for the way they went about it rather than the fact that they are concerned for the cat.

      It’s impossible for us to know based on what little information is out there. Maybe the RSPCA hasn’t communicated with the specialists who are supposedly treating the cat. Maybe the cat really has been neglected. I have no idea.

      But I do think going in with force, especially when it’s completely unnecessary, risks the situation taking a wrong turn. In the UK it’s a bit different, but how many US states would this be a good idea knowing the number of people who are armed? Especially these days when we hear of ICE shooting people and consider the long, ignominious record of police executing raids at the wrong addresses.

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  2. Yes. What they did was crazy. But happy cat was taken away. Not sure about Ritas medical condition but if there was nothing they can do for her and she was suffering then best she be put to sleep. My friend had a similar situation where she was taking care of friend with dementia. Long story short. She had to take cat away. It was skin and bones and lasted about a year. Cat was in horrible shape and was not bought to vet in years.

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    1. Theodotu’s attorneys say Rita was under the care of two specialists. I guess we’ll find out when the court looks at all the documentation. Right now all we have is a complaint from a vet saying she was not well cared-for, and an attorney saying her client is taking the cat’s health seriously.

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  3. I wish little Rita the best and that whatever the outcome is, it’s in her best interest.

    I don’t think they should have chopped the door down or knocked the lady over. That’s just nuts.

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    1. Maybe they thought Bud was there, in which case the conversation would be “Do you think 6 is enough? I’d feel more comfortable with at least 12 officers, wouldn’t you? Can we get riot armor?”

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  4. I really hope things turn out for the best for Rita. As for the door, I thought that breaking down a door with an axe only happened in horror movies… here are the cops. I mean, I thought that when people don’t open the door, the police can break it down, but with that thing that looks like a big black log, I don’t know what it’s called. Or firefighters who use axes to break down doors when there’s a fire.

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