Cat Missing For 11 Years Reunited With Owner [PHOTOS]

HYDE PARK, NY — A cat that was missing for more than a decade was returned to his owner thanks to a staff member at the Dutchess County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Hyde Park.

According to a Facebook post, staff Carol O'Connell had been trying to get close enough to a stray cat that was coming by her home occasionally for three years.

She borrowed a microchip scanner — on a whim — from the shelter and found that the cat had a microchip implanted.

The information on the chip led the DCSPCA to locate the cat's owner and they found out the pet had been missing for 11 years.

Tiger, the long-missing feline, was reunited with his human, whose name is Maggie.

DCSPCA veterinarians said Tiger was in remarkably good shape for having been "on the streets" for that long a period of time.

The lucky cat is now back with the family he has not seen since he was 3 years old, officials said.

Lynne Meloccaro, the DCSPCA's executive director, said the kitty's rescuer, O'Connell, has been with the nonprofit for several years.

"To be able to survive that long dealing with everything that comes through the doors in an animal shelter, you have to be devoted to the welfare of all animals and you can’t ever leave your compassion at the office," she said.

"Everyone here feels like their job doesn’t end with the work day — it’s second nature to try to help any animal that may be in distress wherever it is. We would not be doing this work if we didn’t feel that," Meloccaro said.

She said the happy outcome would clearly not have been possible if Tiger had not been chipped.

"Thousands of animals around the country are reunited every day with their families because they were chipped," Meloccaro said. "Thousands more are lost forever because they are not. Micro-chipping is painless to the animal, inexpensive, and an essential aid in keeping pets with their families."

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