Two dogs and a cat taken in SPCA shelter raid

A South Island pet shelter is "devastated" after three animals were stolen in an overnight raid.

SPCA Nelson-Marlborough said it was working with police to find a cat and two dogs taken from its Nelson shelter between Sunday night and Monday morning.

The missing dogs are Frankie, an 18-month-old black-and-white labrador-collie hybrid male, and Simba, an 8-month-old tan Bullmastiff. The stone cat was a 5-year-old domestic black male named Boris.

The SPCA warned people not to approach Simba, but to contact the shelter immediately if they saw him. 

Frankie was described as “high energy and friendly”, while Simba was “shy”.

Boris was a “friendly” cat who “loves to chat”.

"We are devastated to report that after a break-in at the Nelson SPCA overnight from the 16th to the 17th, three of our beloved animals are now missing," SPCA Nelson-Marlborough said in a social media post.

"We continue to work with police and currently focused on finding these missing cats and dogs.

"If you have any information or have seen any of these animals, please get in touch with us right away. Your help is crucial in bringing them home safely."

You can contact the centre here.