UPDATE: 5:48 p.m. - June 6, 20212
EAST MISSOULA - Peach Dragonfoot and Bill have been reunited as of Sunday afternoon.
(first report: 2:46 p.m. - June 6, 2021)
A lot of pets go missing from their homes, but it's not every day that dozens of people join in the search for them.
The East Missoula community coming together to reunite one cat with her sick owner.
"It's pretty incredible, but that doesn't surprise me for this community, it's a close-knit community," Kathy Jo Perkins said.
According to Perkins, owner Bill Pederson is recovering from COVID-19 in the hospital, after spending days in the ICU.
Now, she said he's doing better, "he's been taken out of the ICU, he s been transferred out, he s doing really well."
Pederson said he recently drove himself to the emergency room after falling ill, "they had been camping out, he was feeling sick, and finally got to the point where he was in dire straits."
That was about a week ago. His beloved cat, Peach Dragonfoot, has been missing ever since.
"He rescued that kitten from a ditch in Texas last year in June. She had a broken leg, and other injuries, and was on death s doorstep practically," Perkins said.
"With his limited means he took her to the vet and nursed her back to health, and they've saved each other practically," she continued.
Perkins said that even though she's never met Bill, he's remained lifelong friends with her sister.
So, she wants to help find Peach, "my main goal is to just make sure Bill and Peach get reunited."
She's been looking in this area for days, spending countless hours after work hoping to find her. "Just hoping somebody's seen her and they can keep an eye on her."
Perkins also set up a cat bed and carrier in a neighbor s yard. "I've asked a couple people that have been outside, or gone through the alley."
That s not all she s done. Perkins is going across East Missoula hoping to spread the word, putting up these fliers in nearby businesses hoping to grab people's attention.
"We're thinking that peach is still out here in this same area," she said.
Countless others are assisting in the search, sharing photos and videos online.
Perkins says all this effort is to reunite the cat with her owner. "They are everything to each other."
You can call Tammy Cunningham at (406) 544-9021 should you find Peach.
