Dedicated Animal Control Worker Reunites Lost Cat with Family After 11 Years

Quick Smiles:

• After going missing 11 years ago, Derek the cat was found and returned to his family in Florida due to the persistent efforts of Animal Code Enforcement Officer Alfredson and the team at Jacksonville’s Animal Care and Protective Services (ACPS).
• Despite incorrect information on Derek’s microchip, Alfredson was able to track down Derek’s original family through a trail of records dating back to 2010.
• The return of Derek has sparked joy and amazement, reminding pet owners of the importance of microchipping pets and keeping their contact information up to date.

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A whisker-twisting tale of a cat’s incredible journey back to his family after 11 years is sweeping across Florida.

This miraculous tale involves Derek, a 13-year-old cat, a devoted animal control officer, and a tenacious reunion with his long-lost family.

Eleven years ago, Derek went missing, leaving his family heartbroken.

Fast forward to today, his family received an astonishing call from Jacksonville’s Animal Care and Protective Services (ACPS) that their beloved pet had been found, thanks to a Good Samaritan and an unwavering animal code enforcement officer, Alfredson.

Alfredson, responding to a report about a sick feline, discovered that the found cat was microchipped.

However, the data on the chip was incorrect, and the path to find Derek’s family seemed blocked.

But this didn’t stop Officer Alfredson from doing everything she could to find Derek’s family.

As ACPS stated, their team is “trained to use every resource available when researching microchips.”

Using her skills, Alfredson found out that Derek’s microchip had been implanted by Jacksonville Humane.

With this lead, she dug deeper into the owner information from 2010.

Although the phone number was no longer in service, Alfredson was not to be deterred.

ACPS explained, “Officer Alfredson utilized the address provided by JHS to search JEA records and found a different phone number attached to the address.”

She called the number and left a message.

And then, as ACPS puts it, “magic happened.”

Just a few hours later, a woman named Angela arrived at the shelter, shocked and thrilled to find out Derek had been located.

She revealed that Derek had been a childhood pet for her children, and his loss had been devastating.

Overjoyed, Angela said, “Derek is doing great and fitting in well with our other cat Cedric. We are so happy and feel unbelievably lucky to have him back.”

She shared photos of Derek with her son when they first adopted him, and a recent one, taken the day they were reunited.

“Derek now gets to live out his life back in the place where he was raised and with a family who still loves him to this day,” ACPS shared.

The organization reminded all pet owners of the importance of microchipping their pets and updating their contact information.

This tale has not only reunited Derek with his family but also sparked widespread admiration for Officer Alfredson’s persistent efforts.

As one commentator on the ACPS post aptly wrote, “Kudos to Officer Alfredson!”

It’s indeed a purrfect ending for Derek, his family, and all those touched by this tale of feline fate.

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