A Pierce County judge has ruled that a local woman will not get her family’s long-lost pet back, after her cat went missing and was adopted by another family.
Kelly DeKett took in Bob, a black and gray tabby with a pinched tail, when he showed up on her property nearly four years ago. She views him as a beloved family member. “He’s extremely lovable, never bothered anybody,” DeKett explained tearfully in Pierce County Superior Court on Monday, where she fought to have Bob returned.
DeKett’s heartache stems from the fact that Bob was reported missing and then brought to the local humane society. There, he was adopted by another family within days. DeKett claims the shelter was negligent in trying to reunite Bob with his family and argues that the shelter did not make a serious attempt to find her. She also criticized the shelter for posting a photo of Bob that she felt was unrecognizable, which led her to miss the chance to identify him there.
The Spanaway woman believes a disgruntled neighbor may have taken Bob and turned him in to the shelter, though there is no proof, such as surveillance footage, to support this theory. During the court hearing, Commissioner Barbara McInvaille ruled in favor of the humane society, dismissing DeKett’s case. The judge explained that DeKett had waited too long to report Bob missing, taking more than four days before visiting the shelter. McInvaille also pointed out that Bob was neither wearing a collar nor microchipped, which made it harder to identify him.
The judge’s ruling was based on the shelter’s policy, which allows them to adopt out an animal 72 hours after it is surrendered as a stray, a policy that applied in Bob’s case.
DeKett’s mother, who shared a close bond with Bob, expressed her deep sadness, calling the situation “evil” and “mean,” unable to understand how people could take her family’s pet.
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