Thefts make helping animals difficult
Mark Lyden loves animals. “There are too many animals left unwanted, and too many strays suffering from illness and injury,” he said.
Lyden is convinced that Logan’s Run Rescue is providing an inexpensive alternative for the abandoned, injured and sick animals his staff serves through Tri-State Veterinary Clinic and Tri-State Spay/Neuter Clinic at Lakeside Plaza on U.S. 64 West. He breaks it down like this.
“In 2021, there were 4,300 spay and neuter surgeries performed. The cost (for residents) for spay and neuter of the animals is $20-$30 each. The actual cost to perform those surgeries is closer to $200,” Lyden said.
“Logan’s Run Rescue Thrift Store subsidizes the balance of $170 to the Tri-State Spay/Neuter Clinic from revenue generated through sales at the thrift store. Services for sick and injured animals provided by the Tri-State Veterinary Clinic are also subsidized.”
There also are other benefits.
“Without the donations, volunteers and generous patrons, we could not do this,” Lyden said. “The low-cost, slightly used goods sold through Logan’s Run Rescue Thrift Store is an additional benefit to those in the community who may be struggling economically.”
It takes a village
“We have 50-75 volunteers here at Logan’s Run Rescue depending upon the season, and are always looking for more. It would be near impossible to do all the work we do without them,” Lyden said.
“Many of our volunteers are seniors who want to give back to the community. Many are alone, having lost a spouse, with children, many of whom are living too far away for regular visits. They love to come here to visit with the other volunteers and our patrons. It really is like a family here.”
There is a treasure trove of low-cost, ready-to-use items for sale in the thrift store, and there are friendly, smiling faces eager to help. And it’s going to get even better, as Lyden said the store is expanding to an additional building on U.S. 64 West, on the hill behind Eagle Sheds.
Troubling times
“There have been a number of individuals who do not know, understand or care that Logan’s Run Rescue Thrift Store drop off area is not for individuals to drive up to and just take what they please; it is meant for people to drop off unwanted items at their convenience,” Lyden said.
“The people who just take items that have been dropped off to the thrift store are stealing, and it impacts the entire organization.”
He explained the process from dropoff to sale.
“Donated items are received into inventory by the volunteers, sorted and laundered in the case of clothing, or otherwise separated into various categories, loaded onto designated shelves, cabinets and available floor space,” Lyden said.
“The items are then sold back to shoppers at a discounted price, restating that the revenue is primarily used to provide subsidies to the Tri-State Veterinary Clinic, Tri-State Spay & Neuter Clinic and an apprentice vet tech program.
“Until lately, the dropoff program has worked by the honor system because we are committed to making donations as convenient as possible so that individuals can drop off items whenever they choose. We’ve thought of ways to stop the thefts by locking everything up or taking delivery by schedule, but what happens to the folks who are working regular hours and rushing to drop their kids off, or picking them up from school or wherever?
“We’ve looked at other organizations to learn what they do but found thefts occur in those places, too.”
Stealing hurts
“Theft affects every part of our business,” Lyden said. “It actually hurts our senior volunteers, because their effort fills them with the joy of knowing they are helping others and the animals. They know that stealing takes from people who need the items most, and they worry that one more animal might go unsaved.”
He added that there is “more than just spay and neutering going on; there’s the dog with dental issues or another in need of an amputation due to an accident with a vehicle, and still another needing a cancerous growth removed.
“It all costs money. Money that is made available because of staff, volunteers and patrons.”
The sheriff’s office
For all of the above reasons and more, Lyden and everyone else involved wants the thefts stopped.
“There have been eight thefts at our store in the past 30 days. To try and stop the trend, our volunteer security specialist added signage, installed video cameras in every conceivable location and lit up the parking lot like a Friday night football stadium, but still they come,” he said.
“Every one of them have been captured on camera, and every one of them has been referred to the sheriff’s office. Every one of them will be held to account, hopefully to learn a lesson, and to send the message that theft will not be tolerated.”
Lyden added that the “sheriff’s office has been very responsive,” and he is grateful for their commitment to ending the behavior of a few bad actors.” Lyden and his volunteer security specialist are “ready to prosecute to the full extent.”
The slowly spinning wheels of justice are on display here. He wonders if the thieves will be punished.
“Do we want Murphy, N.C., to be a place where stealing from a charity is acceptable?“ Lyden asked. “Or does the law serve and protect people and businesses trying to make a positive difference?”