Chickens, rabbit stolen from Walton students over Christmas break
DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — Law enforcement are trying to recognize a group of burglars that reportedly stole a newborn rabbit and 6 chickens from learners at Walton Center Faculty above Xmas crack.
Many of the animals had been raised by college students as a portion of the school’s agriculture system, which commenced about 4 decades ago.
Teacher Joe Proffitt reported he started educating the course with only about 20 college students. But the program has grown in the latest many years, with his course size now averaging about 135 little ones.
Students discover about hydroponic gardening and common farming, but the animals are the huge attract that helps make young children intrigued in the class, Proffitt stated.
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“We really don’t do a whole lot of breeding, but when we do breed they increase these babies up until finally adulthood, and a whole lot of these youngsters get these animals dwelling,” he said. “It’s a wonderful way to train these little ones obligation and how to get care of something.”
A college student and his mom and dad routinely frequented the university more than the Christmas vacations to feed and drinking water the rabbits and chickens. On Thursday, Dec. 30, they arrived at the university to discover anyone had pulled the components fabric fencing off the entrance of a cage.
A number of of the animals had been nevertheless in their coops, but a toddler rabbit and six chickens had been lacking. The small black rabbit was known to be pleasant and greet any individual who opened the cage, while the other rabbits would retreat to the back.
“The rabbit was 4 weeks old, so it’s not even weened from it is mother. It’s continue to feeding on it is really mother’s milk. Probabilities are that rabbit’s going to die,” Proffitt said. “The kid that experienced previously picked out the very little black rabbit that was stolen, she was distraught. She was crying and upset.”
It was not the initial time animals have been stolen from the university. In early 2020, Proffitt explained thieves made off with two course-favored rabbits, but the culprits have been under no circumstances caught.
This time, Proffitt determined to set out a compact path camera in circumstance the burglars came again.
About 3 a.m. Wednesday, two guys and a woman ended up seen on online video footage attempting to split into the cages, which experienced been wired shut. The men and women, who all appeared to be grownups, had been sporting backpacks, masks and gloves.
“I imagined it could be kids from the neighborhood that didn’t have everything better to do and were just producing problems,” Proffitt explained. “I was fully stunned — the to start with night time I set the digital camera out — to get a few adults at 3 a.m. fiddling with my cages. That was seriously disturbing to see that we had grown ups going for walks about on our campus.”
The DeFuniak Springs Police Department is doing the job with the faculty to discover the people captured on the footage. Police shared photos of the suspects in a Thursday social media put up.
Anybody who recognizes the men and women or who has any information is requested to speak to Detective Cody Adkinson at 850-892-8513. Anonymous suggestions can also be made by contacting Emerald Coast Criminal offense Stoppers at 850-863-Tips.
“It requires a specific type of legal to steal from youngsters,” Police Main James Hurley explained. “I will slumber much better at evening when these bandits are guiding bars.”
After phrase circulated on social media, Proffitt explained a number of people today provided to donate rabbits and chickens. The Walton County College District also designs to set up cameras by the cages and coops on the back facet of the faculty campus.
“Things are heading to work out for us, it’s just unlucky that we have to offer with things like this in our community,” Proffitt reported. “If the individual that took our animals needs to make it appropriate we would appreciate to have our animals back. It genuinely hurt the kids that arrived back from Xmas vacation to uncover out that the animals they had lifted given that they were infants experienced been taken.”