San Francisco

Fed Up With Package Thieves, SF Woman Makes a Stink

"I totally didn't think people would steal packages on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, but they did, all six"

Thinking outside the box, a San Francisco woman has found an innovative way to deter package thieves: Get her cats — and their litter box — involved.

She's even captured the porch pirates on camera, swiping the stinky surprise.

Cameo Wood was growing tired of package thieves stealing merchandise off her porch.

"I got a thing from Amazon that says your package arrived, so I run downstairs and there's nothing there," she recalled.

Wood says package thieves are scoping her neighborhood daily. Signs for delivery workers, security cameras and police reports aren't making much of a difference. Last week, after her sick cat's medicine was stolen, she decided it was time to make a stink.

So Wood decided to send a lasting message. She packed up Amazon delivery boxes filled with her cats' used litter box, sealed them and left them on her porch.

"I was cleaning my cat box; my cat was sick," Wood said. "I thought this would be really nasty to put in a package and leave for people."

She left two packages full of litter out on her porch on Christmas Eve and four more on Christmas Day. All were stolen.

"I totally didn't think people would steal packages on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, but they did, all six," Wood said.

She can only hope the kitty litter makes an impact.

"I feel sort of bad these people are in a situation where they are stealing," she said. "But I also hope they look at packages a little more circumspect and don't think we're easy pickings here."

Now that Wood has sent her message, she is looking into getting a locked parcel drop box.

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