A tabby cat named Ella, lost after July 4 floods in Kerrville, was reunited with her owner thanks to a red harness, a Facebook post, and quick work by a shelter.
KERRVILLE, Texas — After months of heartbreak and uncertainty, a little tabby cat named Ella is finally back where she belongs — in her mom’s arms.
Ella became lost after her owner was forced to temporarily relocate following the July 4 flooding in the Kerrville area. With no choice but to leave and no sign of her beloved cat, Ella’s mom turned to social media, posting a desperate plea for help and sharing one detail she hoped would make a difference: Ella was wearing a red harness.
Months later, that detail proved to be everything.
When a “sassy” tabby cat arrived at Kerr County Animal Control wearing a red harness, staff members knew they had to act. They reached out to the AWS Freeman Fritts Animal Shelter, where the story immediately rang a bell.
Several team members remembered seeing the Facebook post.
In true small-town fashion, shelter staff quickly tracked it down, restarted the search, and began working to find Ella’s family.
Then came the moment everyone had been hoping for.
When Ella’s mom walked through the shelter doors, she didn’t hesitate.
That was her cat.
Tears flowed, hugs followed, and a chapter that began with loss finally ended with love.
Shelter staff say Thursday, January 22, was a day they won’t soon forget — a reminder that even after disaster, hope can still find its way home.