A Navy officer is seeking help to be reunited with her cat, who is stranded in the Middle East.
Master-at-Arms Dawn Patterson was unable to bring her cat, whose name is Mr. Grumpuss, back from her deployment in Bahrain.
The officer, who lives in Virginia, has been in the Navy for more than 17 years. She rescued the cat and brought him back to health during her fourth deployment overseas.
Although the two became inseparable, logistical complications meant Mr. Grumpuss was unable to travel with Patterson to her home in Virginia.
The officer is now working with non-profit Paws of War to ensure her pet’s safe return.
On its website Paws of War describes itself as a “charitable organization that assists military members and their pets, rescues and trains dogs to be service dogs, and provides companion animals to veterans.”
Mr. Grumpuss is currently being looked after by foster carers while the charity tries to raise money to fly him to the U.S.
Robert Misseri, co-founder of Paws of War, said in a statement: “This is a nightmare that nobody who has pets would want to experience.
“We were lucky to have someone to foster the cat while we work to raise the funds and make the arrangements to safely get Mr. Grumpuss home and reunited with his Navy officer.”
Patterson said she would not be at peace until her cat was back with her.
“His little grumpy face is always looking up at me when I walk in the door after a hard day at work. His grumpy face always makes me smile. He is my security blanket,” she said.
“I will be so appreciative if Paws of War can help bring him back to me. My baby must be lonely and confused, so I know he will be just as thrilled to see me.”
More than 945 people have donated to the campaign to reunite the officer with her pet.
Earlier this week, a cat who went missing in Maine in 2015 was found 1,400 miles away in Florida.
Denise Cilley, who had adopted the pet from a shelter in 2014, got a phone call explaining that a cat with a microchip registered to her had turned up in Florida.
She told local news outlet WGME-TV that she was initially baffled when she answered the phone. “I’m like, ‘Well how old is this cat?’ ‘Pretty old.’ I’m like, ‘I’ve been missing a cat for six and a half years,'” she said.
“Then my daughter heard me talking on the phone and [said], ‘Is it Ashes, is she alive?’ and yes, she is.”
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