03/12/2025
Here’s a testimonial from a very happy cat mom.
I lost my 9 month-old Bengal cat, Rico Brian, on a cold and wet Sunday morning in Wylie. We live directly on the lake, with tons of thicket-covered acreage. I called on neighbors, kids, the Fire Battalion, family and friends to help me find my young indoor cat. Having recently relocated to a lakeside community, where my home abuts the Army Corps of Engineers land, I was terrified for Rico. He didn’t know where he was or how to get home.
Sunday afternoon I saw him in a gutter in front of the homes, but once he ran into the drain I didn’t see or hear from him again. Monday morning, while walking the neighborhood, my best friend and I came up with the idea to call for a canine rescue team. I reached out to Kat at Dog Gone Detectives. Kat didn’t want to sugar coat things for me; cats in drains and city plumbing are difficult to locate. In the end, I opted to have her come out with her dog Blizzard anyway. The goal was to define a search area. It worked!
Initially, Blizzard wasn’t catching Rico’s scent. We couldn’t find evidence of him in any other gutters or storm drains. However, we walked all the way down the development to the largest storm drain and sure enough Blizzard picked up on a trail.
Kat, Blizzard, and I set out hiking through acre upon acre of thorn-covered vines, barb-wired fences, and foot deep mud (not kidding). When I couldn’t go any further, Kat and Blizzard continued ahead. In the end, they tracked his scent all the way to the lake. The search had to end there because Kat was unable to continue through the thick brush.
When we got back to civilization, Kat and I formulated a plan. We were going to have Blizzard check behind my home for any sign that Rico knew how to get from point A., his trail, to point B., my house through the dense brush and tall grasses. Blizzard did not pick up a scent behind the homes. I talked it over with Kat and she recommended I walk with my dog, Rico’s best friend, from the storm drain to my house and call for him so he could smell and hear his way home. It was a long shot, but we couldn’t do anything else. The ground was difficult to cover and the distance was impressive.
I followed Kat’s advice and walked with my dog, and friends, calling Rico to come home. We spent hours in the woods. No sign. The next AM, I opened my front, back, and garage door quietly calling for Rico and to my disappointment he still hadn’t come home. Ten-minutes later, while I was getting my son ready for school, I heard a meow in the garage. Rico had found his way back!!
So, to any and all who read this, Kat and her canine colleagues are WELL worth the expense and the time! Even when the day doesn’t end in the direct location of your pet, Kat’s knowledge will help you create a plan that does! She was an invaluable part of our 48 hour search and a KEY to Rico finding his way back.
As for Rico, he’s a little banged up from his two-day adventure, a pound lighter, and grumpy his journey ended at the Vet, but he’s home!! Thank you, Kat and Blizzard!! So very very much!
Warmest regards,
Reanna
