The owners of a popular farm in the Lower Mainland say they feel "completely disrespected" after a second kitten was stolen from their property in the past couple of weeks.
Aldor Acres, a family-run farm in Glen Valley near Fort Langley, is open year-round and hosts different events including an annual pumpkin patch. The family has invited the public onto the property for three decades to have immersive experiences with animals on the farm and say they've only had a handful of negative experiences.
The farm is open from 9 a.m. until dark and an average of a few hundred guests attend the fall event each day. People come and go during the day but guests are free to move about various petting zoos across the large property.
While a kitten was stolen from the property five years ago, manager Melissa Anderson tells Vancouver Is Awesome in a phone interview that the family was shocked when this year, two felines were taken in under two weeks.
On the afternoon of Oct. 19, the family discovered that one of their kittens was missing. The family had two litters of kittens on the property for a total of 10 kittens.
"Staff are going are going in and out of the barn during the day," notes Anderson, who adds that the family chose not to say anything publicly when the first feline went missing.
When the second kitten went missing, however, the family wrote in a Facebook post that they felt "let down, disappointed [and] completely disrespected."
"Someone could have easily put one in their coat and walked out."
The kittens are six weeks old and "one is a long-haired, fluffy tabby and the other is a beautiful short-haired calico," describes Anderson, adding that the kittens are very docile and will allow people to pick them up.
The kittens are kept in secure chicken pens where they can't get out. Only one family is permitted to be in the pens at a time and the door closes after they leave. "Someone could have easily put one in their coat and walked out."
While the farm will continue to invite guests to its property to enjoy the property, increased security mechanisms, such as cameras, will likely be installed in the future.
"It is unfortunate that there is a small percentage of people out there that sour the experience for people," she remarks.
Despite the negative experiences, Anderson says the family will continue to open the farm to the public. They believe the opportunity gives "kids and adults alike a chance to directly hold, feel, [and] watch other forms of life."
Aldor Acres is located at 8301 252 St. in Langley.
