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Armed Man Holds Melbourne Animal Shelter Worker At Gunpoint And Demands To See The Cats

Armed Man Holds Melbourne Animal Shelter Worker At Gunpoint And Demands To See The Cats

Police say the man was dressed in 'military style clothes' and disappeared after seeing the cats.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

A Melbourne animal shelter employee has had a frightening encounter overnight.

The woman had parked her car near the Lost Dogs' Home in Cranbourne West when a man approached her.

Victoria Police say the man pointed a gun at her and told her to escort him into the shelter. The woman complied and the two entered the building.

A statement from police said: "The man pointed a firearm at the woman, who works at the home, before he walked her into the animal welfare property and tied her up. He asked the victim where the cats were before he left the room and didn't return."

Imagine fearing for your life and thinking the man was there to steal money or animal supplies and he asks to see the goddamn cats.

Lisafern (Creative Commons)

The statement continued: "The woman, who wasn't physically injured, was able to free herself and raised the alarm.

"Local police and specialist support units including the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT), Air Wing and the Dog Squad attended and cordoned off the area.

"Police conducted a search of the property but were not able to locate the man who was dressed in military style clothes and was wearing a mask."

Thankfully, the woman and all the animals in the home escaped without any injury and the police are now combing the place for clues.

The Lost Dogs' Home has released a statement about the terrifying incident.

"[We are] shocked and extremely concerned at an incident that occurred at our Cranbourne shelter overnight," the statement said.

"The Home has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to violence against our staff in any shape or form.

"Our main priority is the welfare of our staff and we are providing all the support possible to the animal transport team member who was a victim in this horrendous ordeal. The Lost Dogs' Home is working with Victoria Police on this matter."

Featured Image Credit: 9News

Topics: Animals, Australia