Alaska couple whose home was washed away in flood reunites with missing cat after 26 days
By Mike-Ross
Imagine losing your home to a devastating flood and fearing that you'd also lost your beloved cat in the chaos. Well, for Elizabeth Wilkins and her partner, Tom Schwartz, both teachers, this nightmare turned into a miraculous tale. They had recently settled into a rental house in Juneau, Alaska, but little did they know that their new home would become the epicenter of a destructive disaster.
As reported by AP, a release of water from the nearby Suicide Basin triggered a riverbank erosion that led to a massive flood, causing widespread destruction to numerous homes in the vicinity. Among those homes was the one shared by Elizabeth and Tom, and the heart-wrenching moment when their house succumbed to the floodwaters was captured in a viral video.
Thankfully, the couple wasn’t home — they were reportedly on a mountain biking trip in Oregon at the time — but they became concerned when their pet cat Leo was nowhere to be found.
The couple adopted Leo, a “COVID kitten,” in 2020. Days and weeks passed with no sign of him, but despite everything Elizabeth held out hope that her beloved pet escaped in time and was off surviving on his own.
“I knew that he’s pretty smart, and so I felt pretty confident that he would escape and be OK somewhere,” she told AP.
The couple searched everywhere, calling Leo’s name, leaving out food and enlisting the help of their neighbors. Then, after 26 days, they got the miracle they hoped for.
Someone shared a photo of a cat to a local community Facebook group, and Elizabeth quickly recognized that it was Leo. She quickly rushed to the scene, where her cat was waiting for her.
https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.wilkins.589/posts/10227230247634611?ref=embed_post
“I just started walking down the street calling for him, and he just ran out and was like, ‘Oh hey, here I am, you know, like, where have you been?’” she recalled to AP.
“Leo was a little thinner, but otherwise totally fine,” she added. “He ate four cans of tuna and went outside to kill a mouse. I imagine that is how he survived.”
Elizabeth said finding Leo was “super joyful” news, both for her and for the community who helped search for her cat. After losing her home and possessions in the flood, it was a relief to know that at least their beloved cat made it through.
https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.wilkins.589/posts/10227229609298653?ref=embed_post
It's truly a miracle, and we couldn't be happier that Leo is back home safe and sound! Help us spread this heartwarming news far and wide!
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