Five years ago, Bernie's owner, who was living in Kentucky at the time, said the cat suddenly vanished after he went outside in the yard. Five years later, she gets a call from a shelter in . . . Texas.
Bernie the cat's owner, Margaret Burcham, and the rest of the world would like to know how Bernie traveled from Kentucky to Texas. Was it on foot? By car? Bus? Airplane?
Five years ago, Burcham, who was living in Florence, Kentucky, at the time said Bernie suddenly vanished after he went outside in the yard. Burcham said she looked and called shelters and hoped Bernie would return, but finally accepted that he wasn’t coming back, WPCO reported.
During Bernie's absence, Burcham had relocated to the Dayton, Ohio, area. About a month ago she received a call from Heart of Texas Lost and Found Pets, a volunteer community dedicated to reuniting pet owners with their missing pets. They told her that a good samaritan found Bernie wandering around Waco, Texas.
The person who found Bernie thought he looked healthy and well-cared for, and brought him to a veterinarian for a microchip-scan to find out who the owner was, People reported.
Burcham, who had come to the terms with the fact she'd probably never see beloved Bernie again, was ecstatic with the news and overwhelmed.
On the day of the reunion, Burcham stood anxiously outside waiting to finally see her furry baby. She held a homemade poster with the colorful words, “Welcome Home Bernie.” Brandi Neth, a volunteer with Heart of Texas, offered to bring Bernie to his owner since she was going to be driving through Cincinnati on a family vacation. She told WPOC she put him in the back-seat and made sure he got home safely. When Burcham saw the vehicle approaching, she said excitedly, “That is them. Oh my God.”
“Here is Mister Bernie,” Neth said, as she handed over Bernie to his mom.
“I can’t believe it,” Burcham said tearfully, hugging the big, furry, white cat.
As she held him close she asked, “How did you end up in Texas?"
Bernie, who looked a bit disoriented, did not respond.
She replied, "We need to talk.”
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