After more than 12 years, Butters the cat has been joyfully reunited with his owners, Angelo and Shelley Castellino.
What’s truly remarkable about this heartwarming tale, as per ABC 7’s report on Monday, is that Butters had gone missing back in 2011, when the family was residing in San Diego.
Angelo recalled, “We went looking for him, and our assumption was the coyotes got him because there’s a canyon nearby. And we didn’t much think about it after that except that we were sad he was gone.”
After some time, the couple moved to Seattle, bringing along Butters’ sibling. Then, on October 1, the family received an unexpected call from Riverside County Animal Services Officer Dalton Churchwell in Blythe, California.
Churchwell informed them that he had discovered Butters in his backyard, identified through a microchip that ultimately led him to the cat’s family.
“Like the real life movie Homeward Bound. Even looks like the movie cat too!” one social media user commented on the report.
“Never give up hope,” another user said, while someone else replied, “What an amazing story!”
Now, Shelley is urging pet owners to have their animals chipped as an extra safety precaution, stating, “Our prodigal kitty has come home.”
