Break-ins reported at several Austin pet grooming salons

Several pet grooming salons in Austin have been broken into during the past several weeks and the owners believe the crimes may be connected. 

A man broke into As the Fur Flies in the early morning of July 4 and was inside for just a few minutes, but left behind serious damage.

The business had to replace its front door and soon will have to replace a divider. They are also not the only business who may have been broken into by the same suspect.

"It seemed like a really small incident until we started speaking with the other citizens and finding out that this has actually happened to them as well," said Becca Rainwater, general manager and behavior consultant with As the Fur Flies.

The salon connected with Eliana Thromann, whose two businesses Mod Mutt Salon and Sniff Grooming were also robbed. Mod Mutt was hit on June 27 and Sniff Grooming was broken into on July 11.

Through online posts about the break-ins, at least four other grooming businesses have been discovered to be victims of similar crimes, and surveillance footage leads them to believe it's the same person responsible for each break-in. 

There are a few reasons why the owners believe the crimes are connected, namely the suspect's appearance and MO. The person typically wears a hat and has tattoos on their arms and usually breaks into the businesses using a blunt object to shatter glass so they can unlock the door, then target the cash registers. 

Anyone with information on any of these break-ins is asked to contact the Austin Police Department.