A couple from California faced two months of distress after losing their beloved cat, Rayne Beau, during a camping trip in Yellowstone National Park, a vast area that rivals the size of some U.S. states. Their heartbreaking ordeal took a joyous turn last month when they received a call from an animal welfare organization informing them that Rayne Beau had been located in Roseville, California, approximately 800 miles from where he went missing.
In June, while camping in Yellowstone, Rayne Beau was startled by an unknown noise in the wilderness, prompting him to flee into the trees. Despite the couple’s daily search efforts, including leaving out treats and toys, they were unable to find him. “We had to leave without him,” Susanne Anguiano recalled. “That was the hardest day because I felt like I was abandoning him.”
In early August, a microchip implanted in Rayne Beau proved to be crucial in his recovery. The couple received a notification from Pet Watch, a pet-tracking service, that their cat had been discovered at a local shelter after a woman found him wandering alone in the street.
“He was really depleted,” Susanne said. “He probably didn’t have much energy left to go any farther.”
The couple first shared their emotional journey on Facebook, explaining that they had kept it private at first due to the trauma involved. The exact details of how Rayne Beau traveled the extensive distance from Yellowstone to Roseville remain unclear, but they expressed hope that someone might come forward with information.
In their interview, the Anguanios encouraged other pet owners to consider using tracking devices to prevent the permanent loss of their pets. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, approximately 10 million dogs and cats go missing or are stolen in the U.S. each year, and while only one in fifty cats in shelters are reunited with their owners, the chances increase to nearly two in five when a microchip is involved.