Never give up hope when pet is missing

Never give up hope. Keep the faith. Don’t stop believing. Keep your chin up. Continue the search.

These are just a few of the words of encouragement shared whenever someone’s cherished pet is missing and efforts to locate him have been futile. These words are usually shared at the end of intense searching for the beloved pet.

It’s somewhat easy to maintain hope for the first few hours after the pet has gone missing but as time marches on and hours turn into days it gets more difficult. Sleepless nights wondering about the pet’s health and safety are relentless.

Life comes to a screeching halt as time is now defined by posting flyers, combing the neighborhood and chasing leads. Days turn into weeks and grieving the absence of one so deeply loved is indescribable. The giant void left in the home and heart is painful to imagine.

That’s exactly how Craig Hamilton was feeling after his treasured 3-year-old kitty named Castiel went missing from their new home in October. They lived in downtown Macon for Castiel’s entire life but then had an opportunity to explore a new area of town.

Craig and I go way back from years ago. He is an accomplished artist and used his talents with, among others, DC Comics. He and I met in 2010 when he drew me as a superhero in his Macon Man comic book. I was known as AC Pup, Macon Man’s Best Friend.

With the exception of a couple of years, Craig has had cats his entire life. Even though he had Castiel’s brother, Dean, at home, Craig was agonizing over Castiel’s disappearance. Castiel had been missing for months and we were in the middle of the coldest winter we’ve seen in Macon in a long time.

In spite of plummeting temperatures and the inordinate amount of time Castiel had been missing, Craig believed in his heart Castiel was alive and well. Even though people were offering him replacement kitties, Craig was not about to give up on him. He was determined to find his beloved kitty.

Then Craig decided to put his artistic gifts to use. Rather than creating yet another lost kitty flyer with Castiel’s photograph on it, Craig decided to sketch him highlighting every unique feature he had on his body.

Once the drawing was complete, Craig enlisted the help of neighborhood children to get the word out. Throughout this ordeal Craig found children to be most understanding and compassionate about his missing kitty. So he asked for their help and help they did.

Within no time a lady on her way to the grocery store saw the sketched flyer and contacted Craig. She knew exactly where Castiel was.

Castiel is now home where he belongs. He’s adjusting to the comfort of his home and the security of his family once again. And the remaining original artwork Craig created to locate Castiel is in demand.

Even though Castiel had been missing for four months Craig never gave up hope, never stopped searching and never stopped thinking of creative ways to let the world know he was missing.

If you’re missing someone you love never stop searching and never give up hope.

This story was originally published March 22, 2018 at 5:25 PM with the headline "Never give up hope when pet is missing."