Jim Thorpe police are investigating a burglary at the Carbon County Friends of Animals shelter.

According to the Jim Thorpe police report, the break-in occurred between 6:30 p.m., May 24, and 9 a.m., May 25. Taken from the shelter was a safe and a cash lock box.Susan Yaich, a member of CCFOA, said the employees discovered the theft when they went to place money in it from an adoption. She noted that about three weeks worth of checks and cash totaling $1,500 from donations and adoptions were secured in the safe.Yaich explained that she entered the shelter early Wednesday morning through the front door. She saw nothing visibly out of place and the front door was secured.Later that morning, the employees entered through the front door, which was still secured.Once the employees discovered the safe had been removed, they checked the back door, which appeared to be secure, but was later found to be the point of entry."I understand that there is a lot of crime, but it takes a truly despicable person to rob innocent animals," Yaich said. "This takes us from a desperate situation to an almost catastrophic situation."Yaich said that they will be contacting all customers who paid with a check or sent donations since May 6, to see if the checks had been cashed after the theft.CCFOA is now asking for the community's help to continue to care for the up to 350 cats they have at the shelter at a time.If you would like to donate to the nonprofit shelter, you can send a check to Carbon County Friends of Animals, 900 Walnut Ave., Jim Thorpe, PA 18229.If anyone has information regarding the burglary, they are asked to contact the Jim Thorpe Police Department at (570) 325-4995.