Compassionate Crusader: Kirsten Chapman’s Mission to Reunite Lost Pets
After a frantic 21-day search, Abbie the cat has been found thanks to the tireless efforts of pet rescuer Kirsten. The ordeal began when Janet Evans and her husband were relocating from Shelter Cove to Delaware, making the cross-country trip in a motorhome to lessen the stress on their beloved cats.
After traversing the windy road from Shelter Cove to Highway 101, the couple stopped to tidy up the motorhome and the cats’ carriers from the bumpy ride. With all the doors closed, Jan and her husband let the cats out as they situated their carriers. However, one of their cats, Abbie, managed to lower the automatic window and escape before they realized what was happening. “She had apparently stepped on the button,” explained Jan. “She got out, and she took off, and we couldn’t find her.”
Despite an extensive search, Abbie’s owners were forced to continue their journey, leaving their furry feline behind. “It was so hard for us to drive away from there without her,” said Jan. “I spent a lot of time in that motorhome crying my eyes out, because I was so lost, worrying about her and what was happening.”
News of Abbie’s disappearance spread through a Facebook post shared by a friend, eventually reaching Kirsten Chapman in Redding, nearly four hours away from where Abbie went missing. Chapman, who has dedicated herself to rescuing lost pets, especially cats displaced by natural disasters, felt compelled to act. “[Someone] sent me the post, and it broke my heart, and I had to go get her,” Chapman told Redheaded Blackbelt in a phone interview.
Chapman coordinated efforts with local volunteers Karen Foster and Mary Ellen McKee who had been trying to find Abbie for over a week when Chapman reached out to them. Equipped with remote cameras and traps, Chapman braved heavy rain, near freezing temperatures, and challenging terrain to monitor the area where Abbie was last seen.
As the days ticked by, Jan’s concern for Abbie grew as winter storms inundated the region with heavy rains and very little breaks in the weather. “I was so afraid it wasn’t going to be good,” said Jan who shared that Abbie, along with their other cats, are kept indoors except to sun on their enclosed deck. However, thanks to the work of Kirsten, Karen, and Mary Ellen, Abbie’s adventure into the wild has a happy ending.
“She showed up for Christmas dinner, and just when we were starting to wonder because we hadn’t seen her in a few days, she appeared on camera again,” said Chapman. “When I saw the temperatures were going to drop, I knew I needed to get her out of there.”
After three weeks of patient monitoring and persistence by the volunteers, Chapman successfully trapped Abbie and was able to contact Jan in Delaware to share the good news. Elated, Jan relayed her gratitude in a phone interview with Redheaded Blackbelt, “We’re very happy to have her found. Kirsten has done a pretty darn good job.”
Abbie is now scheduled to visit the vet for a checkup and cleaning before being reunited with her overjoyed owners who will be flying from Delaware to retrieve Abbie from Chapman in Redding.
Below is Kirsten’s own account of the rescue and Abbie’s current condition.
Those who are in need of locating a lost feline can contact Kirsten via her Facebook page. Jan has set up a GoFundMe account for those who feel compelled to donate to the volunteers that helped locate Abbie.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/bring-abbie-back-support-her-rescuers
