Large, bright green truck stolen from Oahu rescue organization

WAHIAWA, Hawaii (KHON2) — A local nonprofit animal shelter is asking for the community to keep a lookout for their transport vehicle after it was stolen overnight.

The vehicle is essential to their community operations, according to officials with the Oahu SPCA.

The Oahu SPCA said the vehicle was custom-fitted with six climate controlled areas to transport multiple animals at once.

“It makes it really safe and easy for us to transport animals to and from the shelter. And it’s it’s really a specialty vehicle. And, you know, we were blessed to have it and obviously miss it very much,”, said Oahu SPCA Operations & Development director Kristen Hudson.

Staff at Oahu SPCA said it is hard to believe somebody made off with a vehicle as noticeable as this.

“The police were definitely shocked. You know, they’re like, ‘Why? Why would they take this vehicle,'” Hudson said, “not only because it was stolen from, you know, an animal welfare organization, you know, charity, nonprofit, but also that it’s, you know, bright green, huge and hard to miss.”

The SPCA has another vehicle to transport animals, but it is not as specialized as the one that was stolen. So, it is difficult for animals in Oahu SPCA to get to their forever homes for now.”

Other rescues said it would be much easier if the SPCA had their regular vehicle.

“And so if I had to have a big pit bull on this side and then a little Chihuahua and then two rabbits and a cat, I could transport all of those animals in that vehicle in their own little unit safely,” Dr. Karen Tyson, founder of KAT Charities said. “Whereas if I just open up my SUV now, I have to have all these carriers and I can’t put a huge pit bull in a carrier and now they’re not contained properly. And so it really is it’s it’s a big loss for them.”

The vehicles is not only used for adoptions — it helps rescue animals in emergency situations, bring them to checkups and more.

“We depend on it, so it’s really hard not to have it, and obviously disheartening,” Hudson said.

“And I’m really hoping that the thieves that took that vehicle have second thoughts and think, you know, ‘This is not cool that we did this, let’s just leave it unharmed,'” Hudson said.

“Keep an eye out for the truck. You know, it’s big, it’s green. Hopefully somebody can see it and, you know, let us now call Oahu SPCA, call the police. Let them know if you’ve sighted it,” Hudson said.

HPD did not respond to inquires about the incident — despite KHON2 sending information from the SPCA — as well as other large vehicle thefts in 2024.