A couple from Utah had a major mix-up, accidentally shipping their pet cat to California while trying to return an Amazon package, KSLTV reported.
Carrie Clark said her family’s cat, Galena, mysteriously went missing on April 10, according to KSLTV.
“Galena is a huge emotional support to me and has helped me get through many health challenges over the past six years,” Clark told KSLTV. “The anxiety and stress of not knowing what happened to her was excruciating.”
Clark’s friends and family helped them search for the indoor-only cat, creating and spreading missing posters all over town and social media, the outlet reported. A week after Galena went missing, Clark received a text saying Galena’s microchip had been scanned.
Clark then got a call from a vet from all the way in California, the outlet reported. The vet reportedly told her the cat had been found inside an Amazon box. Galena had traveled alongside five pairs of steel-toed work boots in the box Clark had been returning.
“I didn’t believe her at first and thought it was a prank,” Clark told the outlet. (RELATED: Amazon Fires Driver After He Allegedly Attempted To Steal A Customer’s Dog: Report).
A Utah couple received the surprise of their life when they got a call that their missing cat was found in Los Angeles after she was accidentally shipped with an Amazon return. https://t.co/gBbQtBhWkX
— KSL (@KSLcom) April 24, 2024
“I ran to tell my husband that Galena was found and we broke down upon realizing that she must have jumped into an oversized box that we shipped out the previous Wednesday,” she told KSL TV.
An Amazon employee named Brandy rescued the cat from the box when she came through the warehouse, taking her in for the night before bringing her to the vet the next day, the outlet reported.
“[Brandy] was so relieved to find out that we love Galena and were desperately looking for her,” Clark told the outlet.
Clark and her husband immediately booked a flight to pick up their furry friend, “We brought Galena’s pink carrier, food, favorite treats and towels that smelled like home. We couldn’t wait to see her again!” she told KSL TV.
Galena was without food or water for six days, the outlet reported. There was a split in one of the seams of the box, which made it easier for her to breathe. Clark noted the weather temperatures were “ideal” so Galena didn’t freeze or overheat, KSL TV reported.
“It was an amazing reunion! Galena instantly stopped shaking and relaxed in my arms when I got to hold her again,” Clark told KSL TV. “Despite being skinnier and some mild dehydration, her bloodwork was completely normal and she was completely unharmed!”