While visiting Liard Hot Springs north of Fort Nelson, two Fort St. John residents discovered the story of a missing cat.
Back in May, a family from Oklahoma City was traveling home from Alaska when their cat, Shadow, escaped from their vehicle.
Since then, Christine Sutherland and Bruce Kosugi have worked together to reunite Shadow with his family in the United States.
“I first heard about Shadow in the water of the hot springs. We had gone from Fort St. John eight hours to Liard Hot Springs,” Sutherland said.
When the kitty was found in mid-November, park operators at Liard Hot Springs took him in for a couple of weeks.
Sutherland and Kosugi happened to be at the hot springs around that time and decided to step in.
The pair brought Shadow back to Fort St. John, but the trip proved to be more difficult than expected, especially for Kosugi, who is highly allergic to cats.
“By the time we got a couple of hours on the road from Fort Nelson, he had his COVID mask on and he had put his sunglasses on so he couldn’t rub his eyes,” Sutherland said.
She added that it was all worth it because it brought them closer to their goal of reuniting Shadow with his family in the U.S.
Sutherland said she is flying to Winnipeg with Shadow on December 16 to meet with Jeremy Barton, the cat’s owner.
Barton said his family, especially his two sons, can’t wait for their beloved companion to come home.
He said he felt guilty and is grateful to everyone helping make the reunion possible.
“I really blame myself. I lost him, and my sons were really sad about it. So it’s definitely a miracle that he’s been found,” Barton said.
Sutherland said the trip is costing up to $1,300, but the community has already offered significant help.
Kosugi is covering parts of the flights with Air Miles points, and much of the cat travel equipment has also been donated.
“The more north you go, the more generous people are,” Sutherland said.
She has lived in Fort St. John for five years and said the community is generous and always willing to help.
Sutherland said her experience as a Rotarian is what motivated her to step in and help Shadow.
“I’m a second-generation Rotarian, so I grew up around all sorts of projects that my parents were involved in. I got used to the Rotary moto: ‘Service Above Self’,” she explained.
Anyone wishing to support Sutherland’s trip to Winnipeg can contact her at csuther@netidea.com.
Shadow also has a Facebook page called “Shadow the Miracle Christmas Cat,” dedicated to sharing miracle animal stories like his.
“When you have a hunch, act on it. It’s easy to help in situations that are straightforward like this,” Sutherland said.