'I felt so violated': Whitehorse thieves make off with valuable furs

Members of Yukon's trapping industry arestunned after upwards of $6,000 of pelts and cash were stolen from the Yukon Trappers Association's warehouse in Whitehorse.

"I felt so violated. I almost broke down crying because it was so heart-wrenching," said Brian Melanson, the association's president.

"They didn't just steal from a non-profit society. They stole pelts that were harvested by fur harvesters and trappers across the Yukon."

The theft happened at their building on Titanium Way in the Marwell neighbourhood, sometime overnight on Jan. 31, he said.

He believes the thieves broke through the front door, then looked for specific pelts.

'It takes a community to help'

Around 12 pelts were taken, including Dahl sheep capes, wolf, grizzly, wolverine and beaver. Melanson said the furs had already been processed and are stamped with barcodes, including a government number and an auction tanning number, and an official International Fur Dressers and Dyers stamp.

"So if you've been purchasing furs from someone that normally doesn't have [them], you got a really good deal, or you sense something's up, you could phone the RCMP or phone us," said Melanson.

The association knows the batch numbers," he said.

"It's not like they're untraceable, but at the same it takes someone to report [it] ... It takes a community to help out."

Melanson said they've reported the theft to the police, but not enough was stolen to claim through insurance.

"I've got to tell these hard-working trappers that their furs were stolen, and now we're going to have to figure out how we can come to amends on that with them."