When their three cats went missing, Jacqueline and Dave Appleby looked for them day and night, created a Facebook group, started a blog, put together a search team of volunteers and simply never gave up.
So you can imagine the Abu Dhabi couple’s elation finding one of their cats, Monty, after 100 days, 7km from their home, scared but alive. Luckily, Monty survived as a stray cat after being fed by a family in the area.
Now the couple are continuing their quest to find their two other missing cats, Blacky and Winnie, who were also mistakenly taken from their Khalifa City home by pest control in October.
While it may seem like the emotional plot of a Pixar film, it’s better than any Hollywood script because it happened in real life. Of course, this isn’t the first time that such a miraculous reunion has taken place and it won't be the last.
I wish every pet owner had the same dedication and determination that the Applebys have shown in the past few months. I’ve written about my love for my own cats in the past and it baffles me how quickly and easily some people can give up on their pets.
People who decide to get a pet should always be aware of the lifetime commitment it requires, but should also know that it is their responsibility to not give up on them — whether they are lost, sick or in a moment of need.
I can only imagine how traumatic the experience was for Monty, who must have felt so confused, not knowing where he was, or where to go for food or shelter until he found the kind-hearted family who fed him. I hope Blacky and Winnie have also found similar refuge while the Applebys continue their search.
In December, there was the story of Jazzy, a dog in Texas that ran away after getting spooked by fireworks and went missing for seven years before being reunited with its owners after ending up 1,280km away in Florida.
She was left behind in a hotel and could barely walk, but when her microchip was scanned, Orange County Animal Services were surprised that they were able to track down her family. Her owner flew from Texas to Florida to pick her up and unsurprisingly, Jazzy remembered him too.
“It was a tearful reunion, and it was incredible to watch Jazzy come to life at her owner's voice … and Jazzy couldn't take her eyes off him. She licked his hand again and again and inched her body as close as she could to him. After all those years, her heart still remembered, and was finally whole,” Orange Country Animal Services said in a Facebook post.
This further proves the powerful connection between pet and owner and why it's vital to keep searching and keep hope alive. As proven by the Applebys and in Jazzy's story, no matter how long it's been, there's always a chance.
It has been proven over and over that if a pet owner has shown love and kindness, no matter how big or small, that pet will never forget them. And that's why it's so very important that we never forget about them either.
