POLICE SEE LINKS IN 9 ANIMAL CLINIC BREAK-INS

BEACH PARK - Investigators are looking for a team of burglars suspected of
breaking into nine area veterinary clinics in recent weeks, police said
Monday.

In the most recent incident, a Lake Zurich police officer discovered
Thursday morning that the Lake Zurich Animal Hospital had been burglarized
the previous night, reports said.

After entering the building by removing a window, the thieves searched
cabinets and drawers and stole several items, reports said. Police did not
disclose what was stolen, but the value of damaged and stolen property was
estimated at more than $600.

On Wednesday, someone broke into the Beach Park Animal Hospital, 37063
Sheridan Rd., and made off with more than $100 in drugs. The burglars
forced open a rear door, ransacked the facility and stole seven kinds of
drugs, reports said.

On Christmas Day, someone broke into the Round Lake Hospital, ransacked it
and stole animal tranquilizers and anesthetics.

Sheriff's officers believe that the same burglars who hit the Beach Park
clinic may be responsible for the other recent break-ins.

In most of the nine veterinary clinic burglaries, the thieves stole
tranquilizers and anesthetics for animals, especially ketamine
hydrochloride, a cat anesthetic often sold illegally as a hallucinogen for
humans under such street names as "Special K" and "K-land," police said.

Ketamine is popular at "rave" parties, and animal tranquilizers are
sometimes mixed with the heroin substitute methadone.

No animals were harmed in the break-ins.

Since a pattern became apparent in the break-ins, the Sheriff's Department
has warned other animal hospitals and alerted other police departments.