A cat missing for 20 days is found alive as the Aspen Acres Fire keeps burning

After 20 days missing in dangerous heat, 15-year-old George the cat is home, thanks in large part to Quasar, a Pueblo-based search dog who tracked him down.

BEULAH, Colo. (KOAA) -- A 15-year-old orange tabby cat that was missing for 20 days has been found alive, and his survival is now serving as inspiration for a Beulah community that lost so much due to the Aspen Acres Fire.

George, a declawed elderly cat described by his owner as scared of everything, survived without food, water and in dangerous heat before being recovered Monday night.

His owner, Stacy Kamnicar, reflected on the moment she nearly lost hope.

"I don't know how a 15-year-old cat with no claws and is scared of everything is gonna survive," said Kamnicar.

But George did survive. He was located with the help of Quasar, a Pueblo-based search dog trained to find missing pets.

"Quasar smelled him, and I said this is where he's at.. I said, 'oh my god, he's alive,'" said Kamnicar.

Kamnicar and others say Quasar would have found George much sooner had the cat not been startled by noise and hidden.

"He hid in a ditch the size of my arm," said Kamnicar.

While George lost several pounds during his ordeal, Kamnicar said he was otherwise healthy.

"No diabetes. No kidney issues. His liver was a little elevated, probably from not eating, but he was fine," said Kamnicar.

Tammie Stevens lost her Beulah home in the fire. Despite her own loss, she never gave up looking for George, and this week, she finally got to see him in person.

"If it was my cat that was missing, I'd want people to do everything they could to find him," said Stevens. "Volunteers from all over the country came to help clean up our homes, and the same story happened with George. Everyone was looking for him."

For those in Beulah who have lost everything, George's return has taken on a larger meaning.

"George made it through one day at a time, so that's what we're gonna do as a community," said Stevens.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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