A Two-Year Journey Home

This past summer, in the middle of a typically bustling season filled with the arrival of kittens, cats, dogs, and small animals in need of new homes, yet another stray arrived at Dakin. He was a brown tabby cat, about five years old, underweight, and a bit grumpy. He showed signs of living on the street but wore a flea collar. Someone, somewhere down the line, had cared about him enough to put it around his neck.

He didn’t take well to his surroundings. Kaitlee, part of our animal care team, handled him carefully, but the scared kitty still spooked very easily and would growl, hiss, and swat. When she checked him for a microchip, the scanner chirped to confirm its presence. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a person registered as his owner, but Kaitlee persisted. With valuable advice from Abby, one of our veterinary technicians, Kaitlee traced the microchip back to the veterinarian who originally implanted it. That vet then provided us with contact information for our mystery kitty’s person, Carla.

The shocking story that Carla told us would later amaze the millions of people who would hear or read about it. Carla lives in Texas, and more than two years earlier, just after a massive ice storm knocked out her electricity, her beloved cat, Shoto, went missing. Carla explained that our new friend Shoto was her cat; the first one she ever had. She never forgot him, and never stopped missing or loving him dearly.

When we explained that he was now safe at Dakin, but more than 2,000 miles from her home, Carla was undeterred. She immediately made plans to drive north with her brother to collect her beloved Shoto, which she did a couple of days later.

Dakin never handled a microchip reunion involving such a long distance, and we shared Shoto’s happy reunion story on our social media platforms. The story was shared by several leading news outlets in this country, and on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) as well. Shoto was even mentioned in a news segment on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Shoto’s story traveled much further than he did, which was already a significant distance. The deep love and dedication that Carla has for Shoto inspired all who heard about the pair. Their story underscores the importance of microchipping your cat or dog (and don’t forget to register your name as their contact!), and never giving up on a pet who goes missing.

We’ll all have to wonder how on earth Shoto made his journey from the Lone Star State all the way up to Dakin, because he’s sure not talking.

To microchip your cat or dog, book an appointment at Dakin’s Pet Health Center. If you have lost or found a pet, learn what you can do here.