Van Stolen In Napa With 10 Cats Inside

NAPA, CA — A van with 10 cats inside was stolen Sunday night in Napa and community members were asked to be on the lookout for it.

The white Ford Transit van belongs to Whiskers, Tails and Ferals, and 10 feral cats were in the back waiting to be taken to a spay and neutering appointment Monday, the North Bay animal rescue group wrote on Facebook.

Video footage showed a person on a bicycle hotwiring the van around 11 p.m. in front of a residence near California Boulevard in Central Napa, according to Margo Cassidy, who heads up the group.

Cassidy said she could care less about the van; it's the cats she is worried about.

"We know that no amount of money will replace those lives we tried to save," the nonprofit group wrote on a GoFundMe page. "We pray the thief opened the traps and at least put them somewhere safe. We are beside ourselves with worry."

There were 30 humane traps also stored in the van, as the group traps and releases cats in Napa County. The van is used to transport kitties and dogs from shelters to volunteers' homes and drive to low-cost spay and neuter clinics. The group also drives cats to adoption events.

"It is our lifeline for saving the 1,200- 1,500 animals we are able to adopt out every year. This doesn’t include the ferals we also support. Fundraising has been a challenge post-COVID and we do this all on a shoestring and prayer."

Napa police said the van's license plate number is 48007E2. Anyone who sees the van should call 911 and reference NPD case number 23-000947.

— Bay City News Service contributed to this report.