ARL Field Services lends a hand as “Rowdy” was lost at Logan Airport for three weeks

In late June, Rowdy, a 4 year-old cat, got out of her carrier while being unloaded after her flight from Germany landed at Boston’s Logan Airport, and over the next three weeks, the lost Logan cat captured the attention of animal enthusiasts across the country and the world.

Collaborative Effort

Upon hearing of Rowdy’s disappearance, the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s (ARL) Field Services Department reached out to Massport, who was already working to locate and retrieve the lost cat.

ARL offered to loan Massport humane cat traps, as well as technical advice to make the effort more effective.

Massport placed the traps and baited them with Rowdy’s favorite treats, and also laid out personal items from her owners to try and entice the cat.

Over the next few weeks the lost cat was spotted around Logan Airport’s Terminal E by airport employees on the ground and on surveillance cameras, but she continued to evade the traps.

Found

ARL, Massport and Rowdy’s owners kept the cat top of mind, and then one morning, the lost Logan cat allowed herself to be trapped!

Massport contacted ARL, who immediately dispatched a Field Services agent to retrieve the wayward and elusive cat.

While news of Rowdy’s airport exploits spread quickly, she was brought to ARL’s Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center where ARL’s veterinary staff checked the cat over to make sure she was in good health after her ordeal.

A testament to Rowdy’s intelligence, survival skills and resilience, she was alert, free from injury and was able to maintain a healthy weight during her ordeal.

With her wellness check complete, ARL’s animal care staff was able to confirm Rowdy’s microchip number and were then able to contact her owner with the good news!

Reunion

As Rowdy settled into her temporary surroundings at ARL, she began to relax and showcased her warm, playful personality.

The final piece to her journey was to be reunited with her owner, but unfortunately this could not happen overnight as her owner lives 1,300 miles away in Florida!

The joyful reunion had to wait two days as her owner made travel arrangements, and on a Saturday morning, Rowdy rejoined her family in front of a throng of media members and cameras.

ARL is proud to have played a small role in reuniting a cat who truly lives up to her name with her loving family, and we are happy to report that she has returned home and is once again basking in the love of her family!