03 February 2007

amazing, happy-ending story

Cat who disappeared after Dec. 31 Missouri accident found
ASSOCIATED PRESS
02/02/2007

BETHANY, Mo. (AP) -- A regional effort to find a cat who became lost when its caretakers died in a car accident more than a month ago has come to a happy ending.

Frankie the cat, a lilac-point Siamese male, was found Wednesday, hungry but healthy near the site of an accident that killed his keepers, Dale and Forrest Weber, on New Year's Eve.

Making the story even happier, Frankie's owner, Ben Miller, the Webers' grandson, got word his cat had been recovered less than a week before he was scheduled to return to duty in Iraq.

Plans were being made Friday to fly Frankie home to Miller in Oconto, Wis. Miller's mother, Jackie Miller, said she is preparing a "welcome-home party for the cat" before her son heads back to Iraq on Thursday.

The Webers were on their way home to Wisconsin when they were killed in a three-car crash on Interstate 35 north of Bethany. Frankie escaped from a broken carrier, and no one was aware that a cat was involved until the Webers's family called law enforcement a couple of days after the crash.

That call prompted media stories, which led to search parties from as far away as Kansas City. Frankie posters were plastered around Bethany and several sightings kept hope alive that the cat might be found.

That's what happened Wednesday, when Bill Pierce saw Frankie sitting under the I-35 overpass about 50 yards from the accident site.

Pierce, who lives less than two miles from the site, said he slammed on his brakes, got out of his vehicle, crouched down and called Frankie by name. The cat came right to him.

"He was just sitting there acting kind of cold and bewildered-looking," Pierce said. "He was glad to see somebody, I think. He was crawling on my shoulders and everything else."

Pierce took Frankie home, where the cat gorged on two cans of tuna and a can of pet food.

"You can count every rib on him," said Pierce's wife, Teresa. "It's amazing that he's still alive."

Ben Miller, who took an extended leave from Iraq after his grandparents' funeral, said he had mostly given up hope that Frankie would be found. He said he was astonished by the effort Bethany residents made to find his cat.

"To do that for a complete stranger and under the circumstances," he said, "it's probably the best thing that's happened to me since I've been back."

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is a very heartwarming story, at least the part about Frankie being found and returned. It's always good to hear about lots of nice beans.

KC and the Giggleman Kitties said...

Wow, what a story.

So glad he was found before his owner returned to Iraq.

Anonymous said...

We're very sad about the grandparents but happy about Frankie being found and returned to his purrson. Purrs to the nice people who helped.

purry cuddles to handsome Ed!
Midnight

Lux said...

A bittersweet sort of story, but I'm really happy Frankie was found and rescued. He must have been so confused.

The Tower Hill Mob said...

What a nice story- sad but reassuring about human nature!
Hugs and cuddles to the meowers!

Myst and Blackie said...

Yay for the nice people of Bethany, MO... We are glad Frankie gets to see his family again especially before the deployment to Iraq. Nice to hear happy ending story.

Daisy said...

I am very happy that Frankie got rescued!

Tara said...

So sad about the grandparents, but so nice the good people of Bethany were looking out for one of our own! Tara

Unknown said...

We are super happy that Frankie found his dad! We'll send up a prurryer for his daddy going back to Irak too!

D
J
CC

Zippy, Sadie, Speedy and M'Gee said...

Hmm, maybe der are more good beans den bad. What a nice thing to do fur sumone they dint effun know.

Jake and Bathsheba said...

Thanks for sharing this story. A very sad situation led to such a heartwarming response with a happy ending considering the circumstances. We're glad that he was a road savvy kitty and stayed off the highway.

~J&B

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing this story!
Do you want to play with me?
Luna

momsbusy said...

it is so sad thats frankies man bean lost his grandparents. we is glad that so many beans worked so hard to find frankie and finally did. we finks frankie mite has used up one of his lifes. good thing we kittys ahs 9 lifes.
yuki & kimiko

ANGEL ABBYGRACE said...

Frankie wuz waitin furrs some bean to find him... he sounds like a furry nice kitty. We is so glad he wuz found. Furry sad bout beans...

Abby

Memories of Eric and Flynn said...

Dat wuz a furry happy ending to a furry sad story. We wuz wundering if the peeple dat fownd Frankie wuz yer own beans, or mebbe related to them, cuz theer Sir-name is the same, or wuz it just a co-incee-dents.

Anonymous said...

That was a very sad story with at least a bit of a happy ending. We're glad that the Meezer was found.

Anonymous said...

Thanks GOD happy ending story

Ivan from WMD said...

That's amazing!

Angel Junior, Orion and Sammy said...

I am so glad that he was found and will be going home!

Shaggy and Scout said...

What a fabulous story!!!

Artsy Catsy said...

We loved your story! We were just dropping by to tell you before it goes up on the Cat Blogosphere that we're having a special benefit for Mu Shue and his Mama Laura. You're all invited ... but Nitro and our Fracas look so much alike, we might get them mixed up!

Rocky & the ArtsyCatsy staff

Icon Baxter Bentley said...

I'm so glad for the little guy to be reunited! How horrible to be lost like that.

The Meezers or Billy said...

what a great story!!!