Barrie, Canada: You may remember a story about a woman who was raised on a farm and who saw nothing wrong in trapping her neighbour’s cat, Tuscan, and dumping him miles away because, for her, Tuscan was a nuisance.
Tuscan was photographed in the trap and the woman was seen carrying the trap away (see above). I wrote about it. It was act of gross callousness but the woman sees nothing wrong with her behavior.
Devon Miller and her family, Tuscan’s guardians, were naturally distraught and she and friends and volunteers set out to find him. I have the distinct impression that they showed great commitment and they’ve been rewarded.
“Never give up on things, especially if you believe in it.” – Devon Miller
Tuscan was found five kilometres (3.1 miles) from the Miller’s home on County Road 90 and George Johnston Road in Barrie.
“Our saving grace was that footage from that neighbour. That’s how he was found, I believe. Without that footage, this would have just been another missing cat, another missing poster.” – Devon Miller
Miller received a text message and photo from Street Cats Rescue1 who I presume were involved in the search or someone had found Tuscan and brought him into Street Cats Rescue. she immediately recognised her cat (see reunion in photograph above). It is a happy ending story but they often are not.
The name of Miller’s neighbor who stole the cat (and it was theft) has been withheld. This I find strange but she has been or will be charged under local animal welfare laws. She intends to fight the prosecution. She is due in court in December. She said:
“I grew up on a farm, so I had the cages. Since I have them here I’ll just use it to drive the cat a couple miles away.”
Miller says that it was a despicable act:
“I just hope that there is some sort of soul searching that she can do. Because as much as she feels like she took action the way she thought she should take action for her – the way she went about doing it was despicable.” – Devon Miller.
Video (and updating news story from CTV News Barrie)
1. Street Cats Rescue is a grass roots organization serving Innisfil, Barrie and surrounding areas. We are a non-profit, registered charity staffed entirely by volunteers. We consist of a group of professional people who volunteer our time because we are passionate about animal welfare. – Facebook page.
