In two separate countries, a much-loved missing cat and a treasured dog have both been found after 10 years on the run, emphasizing the importance of microchipping our pets.
As many people know, cats often prefer to choose their owners, not the other way round. For this reason, Tara the cat in Wrexham in the U.K. was lost for 10 years but has finally turned up – in Wrexham.
Tara had moved to the town with her new adoptive family, after her original owners had emigrated to Australia and couldn’t take her along. However, within a week of being in her new home, she did a Houdini act and escaped.
Despite a desperate and extensive search by her new family, she went missing for 10 years, with her new family not knowing where she was or whether she was even alive – until now.
» #NorthWales Wrexham cat missing for 10 years FOUND…in Wrexham: Ginger moggy Tara turned up at… https://t.co/oRbQbz7WMo #thisiswales
— this is Wales (@thisiswales) April 23, 2016
It turns out the moggie was living in the same town all those years. Tara turned up at the Wrexham and District Cats Protection Adoption Center recently. As is normal for cats arriving at the center, staff checked to see if she was neutered and microchipped and much to their surprise, she was indeed chipped.
According to a report by the Daily Post , workers at the center also established that while Tara was a stray cat , she had been well fed for the past six years and was in a good state of health, apart from one broken tooth. Her identity was revealed, thanks to the microchip she was carrying. The microchip led to her current human, who had, regrettably, passed away.
While she had been well cared for over a six year period with her deceased owner, it is still unknown where she spent the first four years of her freedom. However, a little more detective work on Tara’s microchip tracked down the fact that she was 11-years-old and gave her original location, which was basically in the same area in which she was recently found.
According to Suzan Kennedy, manager of the adoption center, the story goes to show the importance of microchipping your pets and updating the database in the event of a change of address, which her recent new family did.
Kennedy said, “So after 10 years we have been able to trace the owners and inform them of their missing pet. They have always wondered what had happened to her.”
However, for reasons not included in the report and reportedly much to the owners’ distress, Tara cannot be returned to the home she had originally escaped from and she is now looking for yet another home.
Reportedly after a little dental work and some up to date vaccinations, she is ready and waiting for adoption.
However, Tara isn’t the only family pet to be recently found after 10 years. A German short-haired pointer by the name of Charlie has been found 250 miles away from home after disappearing when he was a 1-year-old pup.
Tracey Dove, Charlie’s original owner, always assumed her much-loved pet was dead or at least would never be found again, but she was thrilled to hear her pet had turned up on the steps of a church near Brewton in southern Alabama, 250 miles away from home.
Reportedly, a church neighbor noticed the dog had been on the steps of the church for three days and called Renee Jones, the Rescue Director at Souls On Board Rescue Ride.
Dog missing 10 years found on church door steps 250 miles away, owner reacts https://t.co/wcQHg30T7f pic.twitter.com/8jkaDnPeZa
— Anne King (@inthemedia1) April 30, 2016
According to a report by the Examiner , like Tara the cat, Charlie had been microchipped, and while no one knows where he’s been all this time, he has now finally been found after 10 years. The only problem was that he had visible health issues when found. He was dehydrated and very hungry and had a huge mass on his side, causing him to urgently need medical attention.
When Dove received a phone call about her missing dog from the veterinary clinic, she couldn’t believe her ears.
“I was shocked, overwhelmed. I cried,” Dove said. “It’s amazing.”
However, she added that at present, Charlie is too weak and sick to make the trip home, so she was on her way to him and will be staying by the dog’s side until he is well enough to come home.
Watch Charlie’s moving story in the video included below.
[Photo cat via Flickr by Alma Leaper, cropped and resized/ CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 /Dog via YouTube ]
