Series of fortunate event sees cat travel 1200 miles over 5 years

Losing a pet is a deeply traumatic experience. Yet, occasionally, some pets defy overwhelming odds and make their way back to their owners in heartfelt reunions. Cindy and Jeff Hall lost their Russian Blue cat, Luke, after seven years together. They adopted Luke from a rescue organization when he was just 12 weeks old. Cindy recounted to KARK News how Luke "just got out" one day after seven years with them, sparking a five-year search. The inspiring story has been shared on YouTube as well.

At the time, they put up flyers and searched tirelessly, hoping for a call that Luke had been found. Unfortunately, no call ever came and they eventually gave up hope that they would be reunited with their precious pet. The couple were living in Arizona when Luke ran away after which they eventually moved to Nevada, according to Global News. Five years after the incident, when the couple had completely given up on ever finding Luke, they shockingly received a phone call that informed them that Luke had been found. The only change was his new name: Sam.

In a strange and fortunate turn of events, the shelter that Luke had originally been adopted from, Pawsitively Cats, got a call on the 22nd of March that mentioned how one of the cats that used to be in their care had been found in Arkansas, which was roughly 1200 miles from the shelter. The organization put up an Instagram post that detailed all of these incidents and revealed how Luke was found at a gas station located in Brinkley, Arizona. A scan of his microchip at the Jacksonville Animal Hospital by the two volunteers who found him provided them with all of the necessary details. Thankfully, the volunteers who found him worked for Alone 2 Home, a pet transport company, who saved his life and helped transport him safely back to his home.

Pawsitively Cats relayed the news of Luke's location to the overjoyed couple. During his disappearance, another family took Luke in, unaware of his origins. And so, nobody knew how Luke ended up at the gas station. Cindy stated how it was a "miracle" that Luke walked up to the women volunteers at the gas station. After a series of long drives to Tucson, Luke eventually reached the Pawsitively Cats shelter, where he stayed for a few days while Cindy and Jeff drove from Nevada to reunite with him.

On the 13th of April, Luke finally got to meet his owners again. Cindy spoke about how the presence of a microchip had helped the resilient cat find his way home. She also thanked all of the people who worked together to bring him home. Cindy described how having Luke back home made their home feel "complete." The woman revealed that Luke, or rather, Sam, was easily adapting back to normal life as a pet in their home.

This article originally appeared 7 months ago.