THUNDER BAY -- A donation jar stolen from a city pet store last month has been returned.
Local lawyer Chris Watkins returned the Kitty Kare jar, along with the money, in front of local media at the Thunder Pet store on Red River Road Friday afternoon on behalf of a woman who he said he represents.
Earlier this week the Thunder Bay Police Service released surveillance footage of a woman in her early 20s appearing to take the container on Sept. 28 at the Thunder Pet store on Mountdale Avenue.
“There was no doubt in my mind when I spoke to the individual they were extremely remorseful,” Watkins said. “They’d gone through very traumatic circumstances themselves and they realized what they had done was tremendously wrong.”
The jar was returned with the close to $100 it originally contained, as well as another $100 donated by the woman’s family in an attempt to make amends.
He would not identify the woman, citing client privacy.
Thunder Pet staff were surprised by the drop-in visit from Watkins.
Watkins denied returning the jar in such a public manner was done in hopes of his client avoiding charges.
“That wasn’t the thought process,” Watkins said of the public return. “The process was to get it back to the community as soon as possible and deal with the issue of getting the donation jar back.”
Police officials said it has not been determined at this point if charges will be filed.
