A family, who had their missing Bengal cat withheld from them due to data protection laws, were finally able to bring him back home after the keepers returned him. Karen Young, 41, and her three kids were thrilled to have Tigger back with them in Tamworth, Staffordshire. Ms Young, who works in the beauty industry, expressed, “We are extremely happy to have him back. It’s almost as if he never left – he’s already back to his usual spot, snuggled up on my daughter Carmen’s bed.”
Karen Young, a 41-year-old woman from Staffordshire, and her family, which includes her 11-year-old daughter Carmen, were heartbroken at the thought that Data Protection rules might have kept them apart from their beloved cat Tigger forever.
When Karen walked through the door with Tigger, her kids were on the verge of tears. She was grateful that the individuals who had held onto Tigger made the decision to do the right thing and return him.
“It’s been a rough few weeks, and we honestly believed we’d never be able to find him,” Karen said.
After spotting Karen’s plea in the media, the individuals who had Tigger reached out to her and arranged for a reunion with their rightful owner last Friday.
However, when the new owners of Tigger, who had bought him from someone else, heard about the family’s plea in the media, they reached out to reunite them. Karen had Tigger, a seven-year-old Bengal cat, microchipped after purchasing him for £800 in 2009. When Tigger went missing in 2012, Karen and her children Carmen (13), Leon (15), and Sam (19) were heartbroken and made extensive efforts to find him, including searching for miles and putting up posters. Unfortunately, they eventually gave up hope, reporting him missing to their vet and the Petlog microchip database. However, receiving a letter from Petlog three weeks ago requesting a change in ownership for Tigger brought a glimmer of hopes, revealing that their beloved cat was still alive.
Tigger, who disappeared in 2012, used to curl up on Carmen’s bed, claiming his spot as soon as he arrived home. Carmen was optimistic about being reunited with him, but despite having all the original ownership documents, Petlog was reluctant to provide the details of those who had Tigger.
As a result, Carmen had to involve Staffordshire Police to report the theft. A spokesperson for the police informed that the cat had ended up with unknown individuals and advised them to return Tigger to his rightful owner. Luckily, the caretakers, who lived nearby, contacted Carmen and returned the cat to her.
Carmen expressed her frustration towards Petlog for not disclosing the information about Tigger’s whereabouts and leaving her helpless in the situation. She was relieved that the caretakers eventually decided to do the right thing and return Tigger despite purchasing him in good faith.
The caretaker, who remains anonymous, mentioned that she bought Tigger in 2012 from a woman who claimed she could no longer care for him due to moving to a high-rise flat. She was unaware of Tigger’s breed initially and had no reason to question the information provided at the time.
Tigger’s previous owners resided just a short six-mile distance from the Young’s household, and they were heartbroken to say goodbye to him after he had been a beloved member of their family for four years. The woman who had been caring for Tigger during this time mentioned that despite taking him to several veterinarians over the years, none of them had ever scanned him for a microchip. It wasn’t until she faced financial difficulties and brought Tigger to the PDSA, a charity that provides free veterinary care for pets of individuals receiving benefits, that his microchip was finally discovered. It was at this point that the previous keepers were identified, and the process of transferring ownership began.
Tigger disappeared in 2012, and the Youngs were devastated to learn that Petlog, the company with his microchip information, refused to share his new owner’s details with them. Even when Petlog eventually reached out to inform them about Tigger’s new ownership, they didn’t emphasize the importance of contacting the new owners. The Youngs believed that they had no obligation to reach out, but if Petlog had stressed its importance, they would have made the effort. Tigger had been a beloved part of their family for four years, and they had taken great care of him. They were not thieves; they had purchased him in good faith and were heartbroken to see him go.
Ms. Young, a mother of three, continues to hold Petlog accountable for the ordeal she went through and believes that the process should be easier for pet owners in the future. She expresses that without the intervention of the media and the police, she may never have been reunited with her cat, Tigger.
She firmly states, “Petlog did not assist me in getting Tigger back. The only reason the keepers handed him over was due to the pressure from the media and the police, not because of Petlog’s help. This system needs to change as it does not adequately protect the rightful owners.”
Ms. Young emphasizes the struggles that many pet owners face in trying to retrieve their lost animals and calls for a fairer system. She points out that while microchipping dogs has become mandatory this year, it is not a legal requirement for cat owners. The cost of microchipping ranges from £25 to £30 on average.
