Susie Heffernan was returning from the vet last Wednesday with her beloved cat Dundee when she stopped to take some pet food at a Tractor Supply in California Paradise. She covered the cat’s carrier on the passenger seat and locked her truck. After that, she went inside.
When she returned, the truck and her 8-year-old Snowshoe Siamese were not there. CCTV footage from the closest store showed that somebody had cracked her truck’s lock and driven off with her cat. She told the Guardian in an interview that she didn’t find the truck after returning.
Key Takeaways of Susie Heffernan beloved cat,Dundee
- Susie Heffernan was coming back from the vet with Dundee.
- She stopped to take some pet food at a Tractor Supply in California Paradise.
- When Heffernan returned, the truck and her cat were not there.
- Heffernan and seven companions, driving around the entire community, searched for him.
- On Saturday, they got a call from somebody who claimed they had Dundee.
The main priority of Heffernan was Dundee, who was suffering from a thyroid disease and needed medication every day. She, along with her friends, rapidly started looking out for him.
Dundee and Heffernan were both fighters of the CampFire in 2018, the fatal wildfire in California’s history, and her story went viral among the citizens. Due to the cat’s disappearance, the community, including many volunteers, came together and put in a great effort to bring Dundee back in four days.
When Heffernan adopted Dundee in 2018, right before the campfire, she was an undomesticated cat. In that campfire, Heffernan lost a barn, her house, and acres of timber given to her by family for decades. She said Dundee was a friendly and cuddly feline despite the difficulties of being displaced.
Instantly after his displacement, Heffernan and around seven companions, driving around the entire community, searched for him. Others started posting his disappearance news in Facebook groups, asking people to search for him.
The next day, police found Heffernan’s truck about thirteen miles away in the Chico area, but there was no news of Dundee. Quests of the regions came up empty. The friends kept searching, giving fliers in campsites and driving along each doubtful road in 4 neighboring towns, expecting to find his carrier.
When his story became popular, individuals stepped in to help, saying they had hunted alone, giving leads, and contributing reward cash. One individual told a community group that Neighborhood Church had just driven him down. Another person offered 1,000 dollars, though Heffernan said to cap the money at 500 dollars.
Individuals eagerly waited for progress, along with Heffernan, hoping for the safe arrival of the cat. Since the weekend, Dundee had not been spotted, and the weather conditions were becoming bad—lots of the region was under a snowstorm warning. Heffernan was worried, as she had lost a cat in the campfire in 2018.
But Heffernan, her friends, and other volunteers continued searching. On Saturday, they got a call from somebody who claimed they had Dundee.
That evening, a group came to Chico City, where Heffernan was welcomed with a feline in the carrier. He began purring instantly, and it was Dundee. The unidentified caller got 500 dollars in reward and also a 100-dollar tip. Heffernan and Dundee went back together.
Heffernan said he returned home down a pound, a bit weaker, but is back on his treatment. Dundee was greeted by her dog, who had barely eaten in his absence.
Dundee got attention from the entire community, and Heffernan claimed she was thankful for how individuals united.
Reference Links:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/06/dundee-cat-found-paradise-california
