Charges of Catnapping Lodged as Fur Flies in Woodbridge

There's hissing and spitting in Woodbridge over ownership of an orange tabby cat that is currently MIA. Stephen Sappo of Johnson Road filed a report with the Woodbridge Police Department on Feb. 22 stating that his cat was taken by Cheryl Lipson, a member of District Animal Control's executive board, and that Lipson is refusing to return his pet.

Sappo bought a house on Johnson Road seven years ago from an elderly woman who had fed five outside cats which remained behind after she left. Only one of them, Penny (whose name he changed to Copper when he learned it was a male) was friendly, and Sappo and his children quickly became attached, feeding him cans of tuna every day. A friend offered to build a "cat house" for Copper, and Sappo lined it with fleece blankets. As Sappo demolished and rebuilt his house over the years, he was at the property each day to feed Copper, and when he wasn't there, his next door neighbor fed the cat as well as the other strays left by the previous owner.

"One day Cheryl  (Lipson) left a note that she was concerned about the cat," Sappo said. "I called her and told her he had a house with blankets in it, but she said that wasn't good enough and told me that the cat was going to die. She said she'd like to take it to the vet, and offered to bring food over."

Sappo also said she told him she wanted to take the cat to a shelter until the weather got better. According to his police statement, one day when Sappo arrived at his house he went to pull into his driveway but Lipson's car was in his way. He noticed his neighbor was being helped by emergency workers because he had gotten his fingers severed in his snow blower, so he drove over to check on him and when he got back to his house, Lipson was gone.

Sappo wrote in his statement, "I saw footprints going to and from the cat house. I haven't seen it [the cat] since. I called her and she said I would never get the cat back - it's going to a real house. All I want is the cat back."

Sappo said after several calls and several weeks of trying to get Lipson to return Copper he finally called the police.

"The officer said she had no business taking him," Sappo said. "I want to know what the cat is doing, if he's okay. My kids are upset."

Cheryl Lipson did not want to comment and said she would rather Patch spoke with the police who had taken her statement. However, a call at 9:30 a.m. today to Lt. Jeff Leiby was not returned.

After being told that Sappo had said Lipson was only going to take Copper to the vets to be checked and then she'd return him, Lipson responded, "That's a lie, that was never the case."

"This happened over a month ago," Lipson said. "I did not steal an animal, and if he said I stole him it's slander. I'll leave it at that."

Sappo said the police had told him there would be a warrant for Lipson's arrest, but if she returned Copper he said he would be satisfied and drop charges.

Patch contacted District Animal Control and asked what the procedure is if a resident becomes concerned that an animal is being neglected or abused. DAC responded that they should be contacted immediately and they would investigate the complaint. If they find the owner is maintaining the pet to standards as established by the  State of Connecticut, there would be no further action. If there was a question about the health of an animal, the owner would be given 48 hours to take it to a vet and remedy the situation.

DAC was not contacted about Copper.