Main St. break-in saves kittens

A concerned citizen smashed the glass door of a downtown business with a hammer just after noon today to try and save a pair of starving cats, one of which had an empty can stuck over its head preventing it from eating.

See the video here. Caution disturbing content.

According to witnesses, a woman smashed a hole in the glass door of Leather Trend,175 Main St. E. and food and water was inserted through the hole and the can removed.

The business, now closed, is owned by Rob Szalas who is presently being held in the North Bay Jail.

You might recall the name connected with the Downtown Doberman story.

Shortly after the cats were fed, someone covered the hole with a piece of cardboard and duct tape.

Witness Nicole Peltier, who was not involved, says she had notified the North Bay Humane Society by email yesterday about abandoned cats inside the store.

"I asked them to go in and retrieve the cats. I thought one was dead because there are two, but today we saw the second cat come out with a can on its head as I was feeding the other cat. I called BayToday and Cogeco and while I was busy on the phone some people in the crowd took it upon themselves to smash the window and take the can off the cat's head."

Peltier says she fed the cats under the door.

"I slid lids of Tupperware containers with water and food underneath the door."

Peltier says apparently Szalas' daughter was taking care of the cats but no-one has been able to locate her.

"Police said they can't do anything that it is the Humane Society's jurisdiction. The Humane Society came yesterday and put a notice on the door. (See our photo gallery) They did not go in the residence whatsoever. They have the power to go in without a warrant if there are animals in distress in an abandonment situation without proper food, water or litter."

Humane Society manager Daryl Villancourt says he will issue a response later today.

"We'll get back to you folks and have you and others come down to have a statement from us."

Meanwhile, Peltier says she has video of the cats clawing at the window trying to get out. 

"When I fed them they were famished and the second cat had a can on its head and it was stuck. That is an emergency situation to me."

Peltier says her efforts to feed the cats drew a crowd.

"No way did I touch that door. All I did was feed them and then a crowd gathered and I couldn't control the situation. It was well beyond that."

Over an hour later, Peltier says she was still waiting for the Humane Society's help, she was simply told they were investigating although a North Bay city police officer arrived to investigate the break-in.