SCRANTON, Pa. — A cat named Bob was trapped and brought into St. Cats and Dogs of Nay Aug Zoo in Scranton believed to be a stray.
The rescue has a trap, neuter, and release program to help curb the large population of stray cats. Volunteers quickly discovered Bob was already neutered, so they scanned him for a microchip, and he had one.
So, the search began for Bob's owners.
"The phone number that was linked to the adopter was actually disconnected. But the microchip company also sends an email. The owner immediately emailed us to say that it was her cat," said volunteer Sheri Sakosky.
Seven years ago, Bob's owners were moving from Oregon to Massachusetts and were in the area having work done on their RV when Bob escaped.
It was a surprise and a relief to everyone involved.
"Everyone cried happy tears that day — the trapper, the staff at EPAA. His owner was just ecstatic! She was crying and excited and screaming on the phone. She could not get over that he was found after seven years," Sakosky said.
Bob was trapped in the Elmhurst area. He has likely spent the last seven years here and appeared well taken care of.
"They're pretty sure a neighbor has been taking care of him inside, moved out recently, and put him outside. He's so friendly that we know that he hasn't been outside for seven years."
Sakosky says this happy ending for Bob and his family would not have been possible if Bob hadn't been microchipped. She encourages all pet owners to chip their pets.
"It's very important to always update, even if your animal is gone missing for a long time to update your information that way. If she didn't receive an email, we would not have gotten a hold of her."
On Friday, Bob will begin his journey back to his family, who now live in Arkansas.
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