Lost and found pets

For 10 years, frantic local pet owners have resorted to one invaluable resource when trying to find their lost loved ones. Charles Anderson delves into the world of Nelson Lost and Found Pets.

Once upon a time, there was a somewhat “psychotic” tabby cat called Oscar. He was a tortoiseshell and kind, but a little prone to expeditions. For his owner, Tracy Bennet, a night away for Oscar was not unusual. But then one night turned into four. Oscar was missing.

“I couldn't find anything on Facebook to be able to post anything,” she says. “There was no lost and found. There was nothing.”

So, Tracy set about creating one. Ten years ago, Nelson Lost and Found Pets was born. She brought on her two sisters, who operate the page in their spare time. What started as a simple service quickly became a surprise for Tracy as more and more people joined. The page now has almost 13,000 members – people from across the top of the South, who have lost pets or have found them and are trying to reunite them with their owners.

“I didn't realise there were so many,” Tracy says.

Now, the page is a hotbed of life-or-death drama and comedy. It doesn’t take long scrolling through it to find tales of survival, rambunctiousness, anger, relief, love, and desperation. It’s all there, staring back at you in the form of posts and comments from supportive locals.

Rocket, a ginger and white fluffy cat, has been missing since June. There is a $1,000 reward. Their owner recently reposted a photo of Rocket, looking back into the camera with sad, lonely eyes.

Tupac the cat has been missing from the mean streets of The Wood for two months.

“Anyone lost a black chicken?” asks one member, with an accompanying photo of said black chicken.

Dogs are found running through cemeteries. Odie, a dachshund with dementia and poor vision, was lost, found, and then dropped at a vet.

On the page, puppies are “cheeky” or “rascals.” But there are more than just dogs and cats. Budgies and cockatiels often fly the coop, and a turtle also somehow once ran away.

“Anyone missing this?” asks one poster, with a photo of a dog in their backyard.

A few comments down: “That’s my dog. Sorry.”

The poster replies: “He comes here often.”

The owner: “Little shit.”

“There are some lovely stories of some [pets] that have been missing for about four months, and they'll come home, and you know, that feels good,” Tracy says.

The emotional toll of a missing pet

The emotional impact of losing a pet cannot be understated. For many, pets are family members. They share in the daily routines, provide comfort, and offer unconditional love. When a pet goes missing, the feeling can be akin to losing a child. The anxiety, the sleepless nights, the constant worry – it all takes a toll.

Tracy and her sisters have seen firsthand how devastating it can be for pet owners.

“When your baby is missing, it’s like you’ve lost someone, like part of the family,” she says. “You try so hard to find them, and when they finally do come back, it makes your day. It’s so lovely.”

The stories shared on the page often capture this raw emotion. The despair when a pet goes missing, the frantic search, the heartbreaking possibility that they may never return. But then, there’s hope – the hope that they will be found, that someone will spot them and bring them home.

What makes Nelson Lost and Found Pets so special is the sense of community it fosters. People from all walks of life come together to support one another in times of need. Whether it’s sharing a post, offering words of encouragement, or physically searching for a lost pet, the community’s efforts are a testament to the power of collective action.

Tracy never expected the page to grow as it did.

“I didn’t realise how much people care about their pets, not just their own but others as well,” she says. “It’s amazing to see how everyone comes together.”

The page has become more than just a lost-and-found service; it’s a place where people connect, share stories, and offer support. It’s a virtual village square where the bonds of community are strengthened through shared experiences.

I had my own run-in with the page a few years ago. We left our cat, Wizard, alone for a couple of days, with a neighbour coming to feed her. We were also getting our floors redone at the time, and the heavy rain didn’t help. When we returned home, Wizard was nowhere to be seen. Cue wandering the neighbourhood, shouting her name through the streets of Nelson.

I was forlorn. I searched online for a place where people in my predicament went to find solace and hope. That was Nelson Lost and Found Pets. I posted a photo of the cat in desperation. Not 20 minutes later, a comment appeared on the post.

“I think she’s at mine. Our daughters have been looking after her.”

Wizard had wandered a street over, found a new family with two young girls who were rather sad to see her go. I understood; she was a good cat.

But there was elation in being able to update that original post with the declaration: “FOUND.”

That was somewhat soured a day later when someone messaged me saying, “I think you have my cat.”

I replied, saying they must be mistaken as the cat I had retrieved was very much mine.

“It’s definitely my kitten. Give it back.”

I looked at the photo they had provided, and then at the one I posted. Theirs was a tiny brown thing. I raised an eyebrow. Using my profound design skills, I created a side-by-side of them and sent it back.

“Ours is eight years old, grey tabby, and definitely not a kitten. Good luck finding yours.”

“Oh, yeah, I see that now. Sorry.”

The drama of all sorts had been averted.

Tracy witnesses these sorts of stories all the time. A few days before speaking to her, a cat that had been missing for a month was found.

“He was a little worse for wear,” she says, “he had travelled from Atawhai to Richmond. But he was there. Those stories are so neat to see.”

Rebecca Burgess, another Nelson local, has her own story of loss and recovery. Her adopted dog, Tessa, was a treat for her kids.

“We held off as long as possible, but our children felt it was high time we had a family pet, and they would do all the work. We know how that one works out.”

Tessa was four months old when they adopted her from the SPCA in 2015. She was the last of the litter and needed a home.

“She hopped straight into one of the kids’ laps, and there was no more debate.”

Tessa could be part sheepdog with black fur and a white chest and socks. She is always up for a big run, even at nine-years-old. She can even go up the Dunn Mountain with Rebecca’s husband on his bike for a good hour and not get tired.

But last month, Tessa went missing at the Tantragee Saddle. Rebecca’s husband could see her still with him, but when he turned around, she was gone.

“Normally, she will take off after a rabbit and then come back. But this time, she was nowhere to be found.”

The weather was miserable, and after an hour of looking for her and talking to other runners and bikers, her husband came home soaked.

“We were worried if she was out overnight, it would not be good for her.”

Years earlier, when Tessa was only one year old, they lost her for three days.

“We did not want a repeat.”

Back then, she was found via Facebook too. So Rebecca got some friends to help her post on the lost pets page, and three hours after losing her, but only five minutes after posting, she was found.

“Some lovely runners had spotted her on Brook Street as they came out of their run in the Dunn area. She must have come out via a different track way further up The Brook that we normally go.”

Tessa apparently did not feel lost, as she was having a great time playing with the runners’ dog.

“They could see she was lost and kindly took her home. They then placed their own post on Facebook. Someone spotted both posts and put us in touch. My husband, very relieved, hopped in the car and drove to get her. It is great to be part of such a caring community in the Brook and in Nelson City. I have now joined a few more of the community Facebook groups. It’s a brilliant grapevine.”

As for Tracy’s Oscar, he was found too. She made the cover photo a picture of him, lying proudly on the boot of Tracy’s car, staring vigilantly at the camera.

But five years ago, he was hit by a car.

“He was such a rat bag,” Tracy says. “Everyone on the page knew who Oscar was, and we had people always asking how he was. I had a lot of lovely, lovely feedback and comments from all the members.”

Unfortunately, they had to make the hard decision to put him down. Tracy’s other cat, Daisy, grieved for her friend. But there isn’t any risk of her running away.

“She is old now. She is more of a house cat.”

But Oscar’s photo remains.

“The cover photo will never be changed because this is Oscar’s page now,” Tracy says. “That’s his legacy.”