Delivery driver charged with stealing cat from Carver County home

Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
Carver County authorities have charged a delivery driver after he allegedly stole a cat from a home last fall, then released it after changing his mind.
The 12-year-old cat, named Dot, went missing from a home along County Road 127 in Watertown Township on the afternoon of Oct. 10.
Dot’s owner reported that a delivery driver at her residence “appeared to take an interest in the cat,” and that she could not find Dot after the driver left, the sheriff's office said in a statement Friday. "The delivery driver later confessed to taking the cat, but then releasing it, 'somewhere outside Watertown,' after having a change of heart.”
The driver, 23-year-old Byron Thomas Vieau, was charged Thursday with misdemeanor theft and misdemeanor animal abandonment, the sheriff's office said.
Authorities said the cat remains missing. Dot is described as a male long-haired, black-and-white cat. He weighed 14 pounds when he was taken, and has a microchip identifier.
Anyone with information about the case or the whereabouts of the cat is asked to contact Detective Neil Kuhnau at (952) 361-1212.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.