Latest news with #OkanaganHumaneSociety
Global News
3 days ago
- General
- Global News
‘Unspeakable joy': Lost B.C. cat reunied with owner after six years
There were plenty of tears, the good kind, on Thursday as B.C. cat owner Chelsea Turner basked in waves of 'unspeakable joy.' That's because she was reunited with her lost companion, Buddha, an astonishing six years after her furry feline friend disappeared. 'Seeing him now and being with him now is surreal. It's absolutely surreal,' she told Global News. 'This guy has got to have way more than nine. He has lived at least 1,000 lives. What is it, Buddha is reincarnated forever?' 1:58 'Miracle cat' found after going missing for 2 years in Calgary Turner now lives in Victoria, but the story started when she lived in Kelowna's Rutland neighbourhood. Story continues below advertisement 'I remember the last time I saw him he was sitting on the front lawn, it was a beautiful day, and I stopped the car because I was on the way to work and I was like, oh, I should put him inside, and I thought, no, its a beautiful day, he loved to lay in the petuias and I said I'll let him sit in the sun and I will put him in later,' she said. 'And that was the last time I saw him, so I had an unbelievable amount of guilt that I didn't put him away when I had the chance.' Turner mounted a big search for Buddha, including following up on a tip that someone in the neighbourhood was grabbing cats and dumping them in the Black Mountain area, but came up empty-handed and eventually believed he was gone for good. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Fast forward six years to May 12, when Romany Runnalls, president of the Okanagan Humane Society, got a call about a cat that appeared to be in distress in — you guessed it — the Black Mountain area. 'He had a lot of fur loss on his hind end, scratches and really skinny, so we were really concerned about his welfare,' Runnalls said. 1:52 Family reunited with cat that went missing 9 years ago They were able to scoop the cat up and take him to the vet, where he was treated for overall welfare and nutrition, worms and vaccines, and a painful mouth injury. Story continues below advertisement They also discovered a faded ear tattoo that showed he was 13 years old. 'When we find an animal that has been previously fixed, looks like it has been owned by somebody, we put it up on our social media and share it around to the different lost-and-found pages,' she said. 'You never know.' As it turns out, Buddha's distinctive good looks delivered exactly the response the humane society was hoping for. 'Somebody saw this cat and recognized the blaze across its face and the scar on its nose, and the next morning, when I woke up at 6. a.m., I had all these texts,' Runnalls said. 'The minute I saw the notification from my old friend (asking if this was Buddha) I was in a bar, I was at a drag show for one of my friends, and I cried in the bar and ran around in circles,' said Turner. On Thursday, Turner returned to Kelowna, where she and Buddha were reunited. 1:44 Escaped cat Kiki found 5 years after going missing in Edmonton The experience left her feeling a rush of mixed emotions. Story continues below advertisement 'A lot of sad there because I missed a lot of his life, but overwhelming joy, unspeakable joy,' she said. Judging by the purrs, the cuddles and the friendly headbutts, the feeling was mutual. The experience was moving for Runnalls, too. 'Animals are part of our family, and to be missing that animal for six years and coming to all of your conclusions about what might have happened to it and trying to live with that, to then find out the animal is alive and well is just mind-blowing, it's so exciting,' she said. Turner and Buddha are now heading back to Victoria, where there will be another reunion. 'The only thing sweeter is knowing his best friend, my dog, is going to get to see him,' Turner said. 'I am so thankful, I am so happy, the joy I feel is insurmountable. I always said when he first went missing, he wasn't supposed to go alone anywhere else except with me, an old man in my arms. And now knowing I get to give him the life he deserves and the end he deserves is phenomenal.' The case is also an important reminder to pet owners to ensure their animals are tattooed or microchipped, with their contact information up to date.
Global News
26-04-2025
- General
- Global News
Puppies abandoned in box along the road in Shuswap
Two puppies, both Pug crosses, are adjusting to their temporary home in West Kelowna, B.C., after being abandoned in a box on the side of the road in the Shuswap. 'They were very, very thirsty. They were dehydrated. They were covered in fleas,' said Romany Runnalls, president of the Okanagan Humane Society (OHS). The seven-week old puppies, currently in the care of OHS, were found on a rural road in Tappen, just outside of Salmon Arm early Tuesday morning. They were discovered near a community mailbox by Wayne Smith, who lives in the area. 'I see this box there and think what the heck is that and I drove in and there they were,' Smith told Global News. 'I was almost in tears. I was like, 'Are you kidding me?'' Story continues below advertisement The pair, however, weren't the only pups found abandoned in the area that day. According to Smith, four more puppies, believed to be from the same litter, were also left in a box up the road. Those four found another area resident later the same day and on Friday, Smith stunned yet again after finding a seventh Pug cross in the area. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Like I couldn't believe it, like not again, like another one, like really? What is with people,' said an astonished Smith. Runnalls said the alarming trend of animals being abandoned started after the COVID-19 pandemic but she's urging people to reach out to an animal charity before putting an animal's life in danger. 'It could be an affordability issue. People are not able to afford the spay and neuter costs anymore,' Runnalls said. 'But also it's a rental situation, so all of this is post pandemic where rentals are too hard to come by where they will allow animals.' 1:45 Injured dog dumped in park garbage bin undergoes surgery Runnalls said it's all adding to the overwhelming number of animals in need. Story continues below advertisement OHS has already rescued about 2,000 animals so far this year and is on track to having another record year. Runnalls said to help care for unprecedented number of animals, the volunteer-driven organization is holding a fundraising raffle on the Okanagan Humane Society website until May 10th. OHS is also holding two upcoming fundraising events including on Saturday, April 26 at Rustic Reel Brewing in Kelowna. In Vernon, 'the Heart for Paws' event takes place on May 31 at the Prestige Hotel. The abandoned pugs are expected to be up for adoption in a couple of weeks time.
