Vandals target Spfld. animal shelter

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - The Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society animal shelter in Springfield has been vandalized three times in the past week.

A brick shattered part of the triple plate glass front door at the animal shelter, which is on Union Street in the South End.

Another brick smashed the window leading to where the shelter keeps the cats waiting to be adopted, and a rock damaged a window in the front of the building.

“It was shocking, because the community has been so supportive of us, so gracious when we came into Springfield in 2009,” said Candy Lash of the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society.

Gary Lenox, who has adopted cats from Dakin, compared the vandalism of a shelter to vandalizing a church. “It breaks my heart,” he said, “It really does, because these people here do a lot of charity work and they're working tirelessly to get these animals adopted.”

Lash told 22News that she is hoping the residents living in nearby buildings will keep their eyes open to help prevent further vandalism.