Bat-wielding man takes his cat by force

DALLAS (NBC) - Police in Dallas are looking for a man who stretches the traditional definition of "cat burglar." The man walked into the Dallas Animal Shelter Tuesday looking for his lost cat, signed his name in the log book, spotted his cat and then walked out with it. What happened next was caught on surveillance video.

"He got his own personal cat carrier and also got a bat out of his truck," said Dallas Police Senior Cpl. Kevin Janse.

After putting the cat in the carrier, he tried to walk out. Shelter employees asked the man to pay a $132 fee for rabies shots, boarding and a microchip implant. Kent Robertson, a shelter manager, said the man was irate and started swinging the baseball bat when confronted.

"Normally, they're very happy," said Robertson. "They're elated. They found their cat. Some of them get a little heated, but never anything like this."

The man left in his truck. Instead of simply paying the $132 fee, he faces up to three felony charges.

"He could have paid the fines, learned his lesson and got his cat and go on his merry way, but unfortunately, he took the criminal route," said Janse.