Ovie the cat, Ovation of the Seas.Photo:Michael Bayley/ Facebook; James D. Morgan/Getty

Cat smuggled onto cruise ship

Michael Bayley/ Facebook; James D. Morgan/Getty

One lucky cat is starting over in Miami after being smuggled onto an international cruise and facing the possibility of euthanasia.

Michael Bayley, the CEO of Royal Caribbean International, notedin a Facebook poston Friday that the cat was “smuggled” onto the cruise, which made stops in Australia and New Zealand.

“We believe that it was in the guest’s sweatshirt, and we assume he must have been sedated or something,” Bayley added of Ovie on social media.

“Royal Caribbean worked with local authorities and the guest to see if the cat could be legally brought into the country,” the statement continued. “Unfortunately, due to federal regulations, this was not possible.”

Still, Royal Caribbean worked with authorities “to see what was possible” for Ovie, per the company’s statement. “And after following local quarantine protocols, the cat was flown back to the United States where we were able to find it a forever home.”

Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas cruise ship.James D. Morgan/Getty

An aerial image of Royal Caribbean International cruise ship, Ovation of the Seas sitting empty of passengers in Sydney Harbour on March 21, 2020 in Sydney, Australia

James D. Morgan/Getty

“Ovie is now happily living in Miami.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’sfree daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Royal Caribbean International notes on its website that service dogs are welcome aboard its ships, but the company does “not accept pets” on board.

source: people.com