An Amazon delivery driver was filmed by a doorbell camera apparently taking a family’s cat while dropping off a parcel at their home in Elland, near Halifax, West Yorkshire.
The footage from Sunday afternoon shows a man in a high-visibility jacket crouching near the front door of the Park Avenue property before standing up with a small dark-coloured cat visible in his right hand.
The driver can then be seen walking back towards his vehicle before moving out of the camera’s view.
Beloved pet Nora has not been seen since the incident on January 18, leaving her owners devastated.
Carl Crowther, Nora’s owner, said he experienced “total shock and disbelief” upon reviewing the doorbell recording after noticing his cat had gone missing.
He had been anticipating a Zara delivery for his daughter that Sunday and was out on a work callout at 1.30pm, roughly an hour before the package arrived.
With nobody at home to answer the door, Mr Crowther later checked the camera footage out of curiosity after not seeing Nora.
He said: “Low and behold, I saw this delivery man come down the path with the parcel in his hand. He doesn’t get a response at the door as no one was in so he looks for someone safe to put the parcel.
A family has been left heartbroken after an Amazon delievry driver stole their cat
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CARL CROWTHER / UKACF
“He’s then clocked the cat,” Mr Crowther recalled forebodingly.
The homeowner was initially unconcerned when Nora was absent throughout Sunday, as she is an outdoor cat who typically finds her way home without difficulty.
However, when the cat failed to appear the following morning, he and his partner, Sarah, 52, grew worried and examined the doorbell footage.
The family are particularly anxious because Nora suffers from a heart murmur and needs regular medication.
The theft was caught on the home’s door camera
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CARL CROWTHER / UKACF
Mr Crowther said: “It’s absolutely disgusting. He was there for over six minutes. He comes right up the door, picks up the cat, turns around and walks off.”
He also hit out at Amazon’s response after they offered to reimburse the family.
“I’ve been emailing them and their response was disgusting, asking what monetary value we’d put on the cat,” he told the Daily Mail.
“How can you put a value on somebody’s pet?”
Mr Crowther contacted the police non-emergency line and had a video call at 1.30pm, with officers promising to respond within 48 hours.
West Yorkshire Police confirmed they received a report of a cat being stolen from outside a property on Park Avenue, Elland at approximately 2.30pm on Monday, January 19.
A spokesperson said: “A crime of theft has been recorded and enquiries remain ongoing.”
Amazon stated it is investigating the matter and has been in direct contact with both Mr Crowther and the police.