Callous crooks targeted a small independent pet store in Paisley and took cash and equipment worth £4,000.
The thieves struck overnight on Sunday, September 25 into Monday at Proexotics in Causeyside Street.
After securing the shop on Sunday evening, staff came in to find the shop in a state of disarray on Monday morning.
Considering the value of some of the pets in the store it was fortunate the raiders were not more clued up on reptiles, amphibians, and mammals because otherwise some of the pets might have ended up in their bag of swag.
The store houses a variety of interesting and unique animals, such as chameleons, bearded dragons, pythons, tarantulas, and hedgehogs.
As it was, the thieves contented themselves with equipment, such as heat lamps, with an estimated total value of £2,000 as well as cash from the premises, also around £2,000, including all the small change from the register.
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William Ewart, the store’s owner, said he is glad that none of the animals had been taken, but the cost of replacing the stolen goods and the impact of the loss of the £2,000 in cash would be keenly felt.
He said: “It was a good thing they didn’t know more about animals, otherwise they might have taken some of them.
"They mainly took pieces of equipment and cash.
"I’m not sure how they’re going to be able to move them on because I don’t think they’re going to have much luck going door-to-door trying to sell heat lamps to people.”
The business only moved into its premises at 65 Causeyside Street earlier this year, having previously spent years at Glasgow Road.
Assistant manager Andy Watson said: "In all those years, we'd never had any trouble up the road. We've only been here a few months and we've been hit already."
William reckons the hapless thieves ended up in Proexotics by mistake, saying that the phone shop next door was probably their intended target.
The incident was reported to police and investigations into it are being carried out.
William says that the store will be hosting a number of fundraising events in the near future to help them recoup their losses.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “A Causeyside Street premises was the subject of a theft by housebreaking overnight from Sunday, September 25 to Monday, September 26. Inquiries into this incident are ongoing.”
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