Danielle Franco reunites with her cat Finn after the Maui fires.Photo:Maui Humane Society
Maui Humane Society
Finn the cat and his family are ready to rebuild now that they are back together.
During the fires, which destroyed Danielle and Bon’s home, the couple got separated from their cats, Finn and Bali, in the chaos. The loss of their home was difficult, but Danielle and Bon were more heartbroken about being without their beloved pets.
According to Greater Good Charities, the “burn scar” is the “area where the wildfires left little standing.”
“The area was a complete loss. Our goal was to target trap cats/dogs in the disaster zones where there was no access to resources such as food/water. We trapped over 100 cats, many of whom were burned, injured, or suffering from extreme dehydration and starvation. We were also tasked with scanning and transporting animals from the field that had perished. This is a difficult task for even the most seasoned field teams,“Laura Littlebear, the vice president of field operations for Greater Good Charities, tells PEOPLE of the burn scar area.
Among the numerous animals rescuers humanely trapped was a friendly, talkative cat that seemed too social to be feral.
This cat was one of the animals brought to the Maui Humane Society toget scanned for a microchip. Unsurprisingly to rescuers, the affectionate feline they found among charred homes had a microchip loaded with the contact information for his family.
Danielle Franco (right) and her partner Bon (left) with their cat Finn.Danielle Franco
Danielle Franco
The microchip led rescuers to Danielle, who informed the cat’s heroes that they picked up the feline just four houses down from where Danielle and Bon’s home once stood. Danielle rushed to the Maui Humane Society to reunite with Finn as soon as she heard the news.
“Bon and I couldn’t be happier to have Finn reunited with us. It’s given us so much comfort and hope after so much loss. I cried every day, not knowing if he survived, and even though we knew the chances he made it out were slim, we weren’t ready to give up hope. Getting the call, he made it was the absolute best feeling like we were getting a piece of our heart back. We both look at him now and overflow with love and happiness,” Danielle tells PEOPLE.
Finn is now back in the care of Danielle and Bon, helping them heal with extra cuddles.
“After picking him up and getting him back to our hotel, he went back and forth between Bon and me, just rubbing on us and giving us kisses. Finn has always been a very affectionate, sweet, and cuddly cat, but even more so now,” Danielle says, adding, “You can tell he is just so happy to be with his humans and getting endless cuddles every day.”
Danielle Franco cuddling her cat Finn, who went missing during the Maui fires and reunited with his family weeks later.Danielle Franco
Finn is recovering well, too. His owners say that despite being in the elements for several days, the feline returned home slightly skinnier but in good health. Finding Finn has given the couple hope that Bali is still out there working to find his way home.
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This happy ending for Finn and his family is exactly why animal rescuers do their difficult work, according to Littlebear.
“When we found out the next day that Finn had been reunited with his family, there was immediate relief and comfort to our entire team. Knowing that we were able to reunite just one pet with a family who had lost everything made any personal struggle completely worth it. I would do it a thousand more times,” she says.
source: people.com
