Pets
Florida Cat Missing Since Hurricane Irma Back For Christmas 2018
A Florida cat that got lost in the chaos of 2017's Hurricane Irma has been reunited with its family in time for Christmas 2018.
SARASOTA, FL — A Florida cat that got lost in the chaos of 2017's Hurricane Irma has been reunited with its family in time for Christmas 2018 — more than 15 months after the massive storm blew through the Sunshine State and separated "Jerry" the cat from Nancy Pearson and her son.
"It truly is a miracle that he was found," declared Patty Giarrusso of non-profit Lost Pet Services Inc., which had been trying to help find Jerry since he disappeared.
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The Pearsons hadn't seen Jerry since Sept. 10, 2017, the day Hurricane Irma brought its wrath to Florida.
"She went to stay with her friend during the hurricane and while she was transporting the cat he jumped out, and they could not find him," Giarrusso said of Nancy Pearson, who lives in Sarasota.
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The family canvassed the neighborhood on foot, asked for help on social media and hung flyers around the neighborhood but hadn't heard so much as a meow from Jerry for more than a year.
They even offered a reward for Jerry’s return.
Finally, a Good Samaritan reported a stay cat to Sarasota County Sheriff's Office Animal Services, which in turn notified the Pearsons just days before Christmas.
He was found three miles away from his home.
"As far as how he survived, he may have either been picked up by another family and escaped from them or just made it on his own," Giarrusso told Patch. "I wish we knew."
Giarrusso said Jerry had a microchip that was traced back to his family.
"We always want to spread the word about the importance of microchipping and having pets wear their ID tags — both which we give for free as part of what we do," Giarrusso said.
She thinks there are other pets from Hurricane Irma waiting to be found.
"This family did everything that they should," she said. "We had a few that were never found. The best thing is if you see a stray pet, we like to know about it. There are so many pets that never make it home."
Photo courtesy Lost Pet Services, Inc.
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