A cat missing for seven years is reunited with his family across the country

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A Georgia family has been reunited with their cat seven years after he went missing in the Fresno area, thanks to a local nonprofit and a microchip that helped bring him home.

The Davidson family adopted Dodger as a kitten in 2016 from Miss Winkles Pet Adoption Center in Clovis. Amber Davidson says Dodger quickly became part of the family.

In 2018, the family planned to move out of state after the children's father passed away. Davidson says they intended to bring Dodger with them as they relocated to Florida, with plans for a friend of a friend to transport their belongings, including the cat.

Instead, Dodger disappeared, and the family went years without knowing what had happened to their beloved cat.

That changed recently when Davidson received an unexpected email late at night.

"It was like 11 o'clock at night, and I get this email saying Dodger has been scanned into Fresno TNR," she said.

Sydney Sherman with Fresno Trap and Release says Dodger was found in Madera and brought in for neutering, like any other cat the nonprofit encounters. But when veterinarians realized he had already been neutered and had a microchip, Sherman scanned it and discovered the cat belonged to a family no longer living in the Central Valley.

"I was like, oh my gosh, where do these people live, this isn't a 559 area code," Sherman said.

By then, the Davidsons had moved again and were living in Georgia.

As Sherman and Davidson communicated more and more, Sherman revealed that she frequently travels to Florida and already had a trip planned.

"I was like, well, I'm going to a wedding in Florida on March 24, I can try to bring him to you guys if you can meet me in Florida," Sherman said.

The Davidson family drove seven hours to Florida and met Sherman and Dodger at 5 a.m., finally reuniting with the cat they had not seen in seven years.

"That moment, of 'He's finally home, he gets to be with his people again,'" Sherman said through tears. "Sorry - it's very special."

The moment was emotional for the Davidson family, too.

"When we were walking away, Schylar was like, 'Mom, you did so good, you didn't cry,'" Davidson said.

Sherman says Dodger's story is a reminder of how important and life-changing microchipping pets can be. She says the fact that Dodger had been neutered and microchipped is what made the reunion possible.

After seven years apart, little Dodger Davidson is finally back where he belongs.