At the heart of North Carolina, a family cat named Gabby is back home after nearly a year‑and‑a‑quarter in the wilderness. The shy blue‑eyed feline was last seen during the devastating Hurricane Helene sweep of the southeastern U.S. in September 2024.
After 443 days of worry and endless searches, the Avery Humane Society in Raleigh finally located her on December 13, when she was brought in as a stray.
When shelter workers scanned Gabby, they discovered a microchip. The chip’s data revealed that she had disappeared when Helene hit the region last year. The microchip allowed the shelter to trace her to the family who had been frantic for nearly 15 months. Their reunion was described as a “Christmas miracle” by excited pet‑owner advocates on social media.
“We brought a sweet cat to us as a stray,” the shelter’s Facebook page read. “When we scanned her, we discovered she had a microchip. With a little digging, we learned she had gone missing after Hurricane Helene—443 days ago. Today, after all that time, she is finally back where she belongs—reunited with her family.”
The story has moved many online. One user posted, “I’m not crying, you’re crying,” adding, “Happy tears at least.” Another wrote, “This makes my heart happy,” with followers praising the homecoming as a “beautiful story” and a “happy ending.”
The Avery Humane Society seized the opportunity to remind pet owners of the life‑saving importance of microchipping. “That small step can make the difference between heartbreak and a happy reunion,” the shelter’s post noted. “After 443 days apart, this family got their miracle — and it all started with a microchip.”
Hurricane Helene, which made landfall on Florida’s coast on September 26, 2024, was the second deadliest U.S. storm in twenty years. The ferocious hurricane, which spanned six states, claimed more than 250 lives—most of them in North Carolina—and left the region grappling with widespread loss and recovery. The only storm with a higher death toll in recent memory was Hurricane Katrina.
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