One of the main goals of the Vashon Island Pet Protectors is to help reunite lost pets with their owners, but when a pet goes missing and is not found right away, it is easy for an owner to lose hope.

Don’t lose hope. It is tough, but keep in mind this sweet tale from one of our VIPP volunteers.

Her two cats, Casserole and Whimsy, escaped from their new house late last June. After posting signs, placing ads in The Beachcomber, posting their info on the VIPP website and making door-to-door visits, Casserole and Whimsy’s owner had just about given up all hope. However, on Jan. 24, seven months after the volunteers started their walk-about, VIPP got a call about a cat that matched Casserole’s description on its website.

The folks who found Casserole called VIPP, and Casserole is now back at home and doing well. Her return was a joy to her owner and to all at VIPP who helped out.

VIPP has many tools at its disposal to help reunite lost pets with their owners, including the website and our Facebook page. But ultimately, we rely on fellow Islanders to help us reunite lost pets with their owners. If you see a stray cat or dog hanging out, go to our website and see if it matches any of the postings on our lost and found pages. Check with neighbors to see if the pet might belong to them. If you see signs in your neighborhood for a lost pet, check your outbuildings to make sure that the missing pet is not stuck inside.

You could be a hero to a lost pet owner like Israel and Sue Shotridge who found Casserole and contacted VIPP.  Casserole’s owner is still searching for Whimsy, and after finding Casserole, she is more hopeful than ever that he, too, is waiting to be found.

Whimsy is a lynx point Siamese male. He has silver fur with stripes and crossed blue eyes. If you have seen this cat, please contact VIPP at cats@vipp.org or call 389-1085.

With our website, www.vipp.org, and the VIPP Facebook postings, we can get the word out about missing cats and dogs.

— Terri Fletcher, VIPP volunteer