After a long ordeal, an Airdrie family is just happy to have their cat home safe and sound.

Thomas Whiteway says the trouble started when they let their cat Archer out while the family took a walk around Fletcher park last Wednesday (April 12). Normally, Archer doesn't stray too far from the family's home and comes back pretty quick. After Archer didn't come home that night, the family started a search.

"My fiancee went looking for him the next day. She did find him around the park where he usually plays. She went to call him and grab him. A group of young kids picked him up and ran off with him."

A little later that same day, another member of the family saw Archer again, with the same group of kids nearby. The kids shot Archer with a nerf gun, and then grabbed Archer and ran away again.

A few days passed with no sign of Archer. Thomas and his family eventually found the cat through a missing pets website. The family found out that a stranger had found Archer and taken him in.

"When the guy found him, his leg was completely swollen. He was basically left on the sidewalk on Main Street for dead. He took care of him, fed him and gave him what he needed."

The family took Archer to the vet to get the leg looked at. They were told they would face a difficult choice depending on the results: Pay a thousand dollars to amputate Archer's leg, or spend even more to get a surgery done. Neither seemed like a financial possibility.

"They required $130 for an x-ray just to get him looked at. We didn't even have that kind of money."

The family prepared for the worst. That's when a member of the Airdrie Dads Facebook group came to the rescue.

"He offered to pay for the x-ray, and if it wasn't for him, we were ready to say our goodbyes to our cat."

Other members of the community rallied around the family, covering other expenses such as medication.

Thomas says Archer is doing much better now and is on the road to recovery, but the family wants answers about the incident. They have reached out to Municipal Enforcement, and hope those responsible for traumatizing Archer will be found.

 

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