Deputies investigating break-in, theft at Doc Williams SPCA

MONCKS CORNER, SC (WCSC) - Berkeley County deputies are investigating the theft of cash and dog food at the Doc Williams SPCA Wednesday night.

Officers responded Thursday morning to the shelter where employees reported someone had forced their way into an office at the South Live Oak Drive facility, an incident report states.

"We know that the door was crashed in, we know that the last money drop of the day was taken," Doc Williams Executive Director Marcia Atkinson said.

Investigators say a money jar containing an unknown amount of change, $100 from a recent adoption, and a book of business checks was missing from the manager's office. Approximately $500 worth of dog food was also missing from an unlocked metal storage container, the report states.

"It made me sick, it made me mad, it upset me," Atkinson said. "I would say probably three-quarters, two-thirds of [the dog food] in here was taken out."

Atkinson said no animals were hurt or taken.

The bulk of the food taken was intended for the SPCA's community feeding program, not for the shelter's animals, she said. But still, she says it's a setback for the community.

"It definitely put a dent in our food program, the food that we give very freely to individuals who cannot afford food for their pets," she said.

The responding deputy did not find any sign of forced entry into the building, but employees stated they locked the back door after their shift but did not secure it with the deadbolt lock, the report states.

Anyone with information on the theft should contact the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office at 843-719-4465 or Crime Stoppers at 843-554-1111.

Copyright 2017 WCSC. All rights reserved.