Stars, volunteers align to return cat missing in Pinellas County to owners in Michigan
ST. PETERSUBRG, Fla. - Losing a pet is every animal parent’s nightmare and losing a pet in a different state is even more traumatizing. Just ask Gregory Parnell.
He and his girlfriend were visiting relatives in Pinellas County and brought along their cat, Spence. But Spence managed to get out of their camper and the family was unable to find him before they had to return home to Michigan.
Thankfully for Parnell, volunteers from several rescue groups, the kindness of a private flight attendant, and the power of social media aligned to return his feline companion to its rightful home.
Kristen Evans saw the Facebook post August 10. It said a Michigan family’s cat was lost during a trip and they were desperate to get him back.
“I was in the area that day and decided to look around,” Evans told FOX 13.
She didn’t spot the cat that day and came up empty-handed even after coming back every day for the next week. But she didn’t give up.
Evans posted on the Tampa Bay TNR (trap neuter release) Facebook page, just in case any of the volunteers who work with feral cat populations happened to recognize Spence.
More than a month went by, but Spence was nowhere to be found.
However, Spence was not forgotten. A member of Tampa Bay TNR regularly checks the Pinellas County Animal Services daily intake website and cross-checks the animals with reports of missing pets.
On September 27, that volunteer recognized a calico kitty with an orange face, white nose, and a black ring of fur around its right eye. The volunteer sent the picture to Evans, who immediately knew it was Spence.
She called Parnell and sent him a photo of the cat.
“Instantly they recognized her and we immediately jumped into action,” Evans said.
She drove to Pinellas County Animal Services to see the cat in-person and verify its markings matched perfectly with photos of Spence. After that, she rallied other cat rescue volunteers to get Spence a medical checkup and microchip, find a temporary foster home for him to stay, and then worked to find a way to get the kitty back to Michigan.
One volunteer set up an online fundraiser to help pay for Spence’s care and transportation. Another volunteer reached out to a friend who is a private flight attendant and organized a time to fly north with Spence.
And on Friday, October 2, Evans brought Spence to the airport to be transported on a flight to Detroit.
Spence arrived at 3 p.m. and Parnell and his girlfriend were there to receive their feline friend.
