Crystal Fuller (left) is happy to have her cat, Patcher, home after being reunited during the Dearborn Animal Shelter adoption special Nov. 26.
By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — A River Rouge family is back together again after being reunited at the Dearborn Animal Shelter.
Brent and Crystal Fuller went to the shelter on Nov. 26 when they learned of an adoption special because of a power outage at the facility.
The shelter had lost power Nov. 24 because of strong winds, so an adoption special was offered for cats and dogs the following two days.
The Fullers were planning to adopt a kitten but when they arrived at the shelter, all the kittens were adopted, so they stayed to look around.
They didn’t expect what was going to happen next.
While at the shelter a special cat caught their eye.
“We noticed him instantly,” Crystal Fuller said. “He had the same markings, same face,” as a cat they used to own. “He was identical.”
The cat, named Patcher, turned out to be the same one the couple used to own. Fuller had to give up her cat after owning him for almost nine years because she moved into a place that didn’t accept cats.
She gave Patcher to a friend to take care of him.
At the shelter, Fuller began to question whether the cat was hers because she didn’t know why he would be there. The friend’s brother told Fuller the cat was given to shelter almost two months ago.
“I was kind of confused because I didn’t understand what he was doing there and at the same time I was wondering if it was actually my cat or just a look alike,” she said. “I got assured by my friend’s brother that it was my cat.”
More than 70 cats and dogs found a home Nov. 26, just in time for the holiday, and Patcher was one of them.
“We couldn’t be more happy to have found our Patches and have him safe at home with us for the holidays,” Fuller said.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected].)