RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A sick kitten stolen from the Richmond SPCA adoption center lobby in July 2022 was recently found in the bushes of a Henrico neighborhood.
The Richmond SPCA posted the good news on Facebook Tuesday, Feb. 7, saying the cat was found meowing in the bushes outside of a home in Wyndham.
“Last night Jennifer was gathered with a group at a friend’s home in Wyndham, and through the open windows, they heard the cries of a cat from the bushes outside,” the SPCA wrote. “Jennifer went out and called to the cat who came right to her.”
When the cat was taken to the vet the next day, a “missing pet flag” on the cat’s microchip alerted the vet of the cat’s origins and identity. Daenerys had been found at last.
“Now she’s returned to our loving care, and our shelter medicine team will evaluate her to ensure she’s in good health,” the shelter wrote on Facebook. “Though Daenerys can’t tell us what adventures she has seen, she appears happy, affectionate and ready to snuggle with all of the staff who rushed to welcome her back.”
When the two-month-old kitten was stolen last year, she had a number of health complications for which she had been receiving treatment. Now, the lucky kitty has a permanent home lined up for her once she has been given the all-clear. The woman who found her, Jennifer, said she plans to adopt Daenerys as soon as she has received a clean bill of health.
“I feel maybe she found her way to me for a reason,” the SPCA wrote of Jennifer’s fateful feelings surrounding finding the lost kitten. Jennifer even declined the standing $1,000 reward that was being offered for the return of the cat, instead, telling the SPCA to put the money towards other animals in need.
“This recovery was possible because we microchip every pet we prepare for adoption and register their chips with 24PetWatch,” Tabitha Treloar with the Richmond SPCA told 8News. “When Daenerys was taken last July, we alerted 24PetWatch and they flagged her record in the database. The hospital that scanned her yesterday saw that alert and called us right away.”
Treloar wants to remind pet owners to keep all information on pet microchips up-to-date with the chip’s manufacturer. The vital tool in returning lost pets is only effective when the guardian’s information is up to date.
