Watervliet woman arrested for posing as employee of “Kitten Angels”

WATERVLIET, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Watervliet Police arrested 29-year-old Samantha Valentine after it was discovered she was selling kittens while fraudulently posing as an employee of “Kitten Angels”.

Watervliet Police Department’s Animal Control Officer opened an investigation after multiple reports of kittens, sold by a Watervliet resident, were dying shortly after purchasing them.

After an investigation, Police determined Samantha Valentine had been fraudulently posing as an employee of the “Kitten Angels”, while attempting to start her own adoption business. Valentine then sold kittens that were never brought to a veterinary to check their health.

Police say Samantha Valentine did have permission by the organization to foster kittens but never had the right to sell for Kitten Angels. Her right to foster has been permanently revoked after previous incidents. Police also say she had been providing the buyers with fraudulent documents taken from Kitten Angels, that she did not have permission to disperse.

Kitten Angels assisted police retrieving all twelve of the remaining kittens. Valentine was forced to surrender all of the remaining animals in her residents, including two dogs. Valentine was arraigned in Watervliet City Court and released to Albany County Probation.

Krystalynn DeLuke says she is a victim of Valentine’s alleged scam. She says knew something was off when she picked up the kitten from Valentine’s house, and it seemed too small to be eight weeks old.

DeLuke says the kitten she bought from Valentine died just hours later.