PALMDALE – A pet found in Palmdale on February 21 was reunited with its owner after it was believed to have been lost for the past 15 years.
Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control Officer Luis Leal received a local call to help an injured stray cat on the porch of a Palmdale residence.
When he answered the call, Leal found a brown tabby named Brandy and took her back to the Palmdale Animal Care Center for care.
Leal scanned the cat and was able to find a microchip and trace it back to a computer technician from the San Fernando Valley.
Charles, wishing his last name wasn’t used, thought he’d never see Brandy again. He adopted Brandy when she was two months old in 2005.
“It’s wonderful. I think it’s amazing. I saw her, I picked her up and she started purring and it was very emotional,” said Charles. “It was nice to have her in my arms again.”
Charles said he was initially confused about why he received a call from Animal Control and was shocked to hear that Brandy was found after going missing for 15 years.
“I broke down and cried thinking about all the years I lost from her,” he said.
Charles was delighted to hear that Brandy was alive and generally in good health. As soon as the two were reunited, an instant connection existed between them.
Charles had brandy just a few months after adopting her before she went missing.
“She went outside to our back yard that afternoon,” Leal said. “But when it got dark and he tried to bring her into the house, she wasn’t there.”
Charles turned and looked for the cat. When that didn’t bring any luck, he checked into nearby animal shelters and put up signs to find them.
Charles suspected that someone had found brandy as a kitten and kept it all these years without bothering to check that it was microchipped.
“She seems happy to have a home again,” he said.