A Florida woman has been reunited with her beloved cat seven months after he vanished and was allegedly taken by a postal worker accused of collecting animals along her mail route.
Linh Nguyen of Stuart said she had nearly given up hope of ever seeing Patchy again when authorities rescued more than 90 animals from a Martin County home. The disturbing discovery included 80 cats and 12 dogs.
“I feel like I got back a family member. It’s like a child to me,” Nguyen told CBS affiliate WPEC. “Seven months. I lost all my hope. I didn’t expect to ever see him again.”
Patchy had been missing since January.
Nguyen said she immediately suspected he might be among the rescued animals after seeing news reports about the case Monday night.
“I was praying to God, asking for a miracle,” she said. “When I saw the news, I had a very strong feeling that my cat was one of the 80 cats that was found.”
Her instinct proved correct.
“I think it’s unbelievable,” Nguyen added. “I asked for a miracle, and this is really a miracle for me and my family.”
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Authorities arrested 77-year-old Gail Giustino, a longtime U.S. Postal Service letter carrier, and charged her with two misdemeanors, including animal cruelty and confining an animal without sufficient food or water.
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek alleged that Giustino had been “stealing or collecting cats along her route.”
The animals were discovered at a home in the 11500 block of Southwest Meadowlark Circle, west of Hobe Sound.
Nguyen said the months without Patchy were devastating.
“I cried so much when I lost him,” she told Fox affiliate WFLX. “There were so many nights when I couldn’t sleep, thinking that he might be somewhere getting abused.”
She has cared for Patchy for nearly his entire life.
“I’ve had him for seven years, since he was a kitten, and he’s like my baby. He’s like my child,” Nguyen said. “I just cannot believe that all the prayers are finally answered.”
Sheriff Budensiek later described appalling conditions inside the home where the animals were being kept.
“We saved at least 92 animals from a living hell,” he said.
According to the sheriff, the animals were trapped in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees without proper food, water or ventilation. He said some were standing on approximately six inches of feces.
“If we had not acted and taken this seriously and forced our way into that house, all these animals would still be out there being essentially tortured to death,” Budensiek said.
The sheriff described the rescued cats as household pets that were accustomed to attention and human contact. He alleged that Giustino used traps to capture some of them while working along her postal route.
Authorities are now trying to reunite the remaining animals with their families.
Anyone who believes a missing pet may be among those rescued is being asked to contact the Martin County Sheriff’s Office at 772-463-3211 and file a lost-pet report before visiting the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast.
The humane society is also urging owners to make sure their pets’ microchip information is current.
“We are working to post photos of the animals as quickly as possible, so please continue checking this page for updates,” the organization said in a Facebook post.
Officials said owners will be given time to come forward, including those who may be traveling or otherwise unable to respond immediately.
“No animals from this case will be available for adoption or foster until every reasonable effort has been made to reunite them with their rightful owners,” the humane society said.
People who believe their pet may be involved can also call the shelter at 772-223-8822 or email helptheanimals@hstc1.org.
Special identification hours for pet owners were scheduled for Friday, July 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Giustino had worked for the U.S. Postal Service since 1997. The agency said it would make its Employee Assistance Program available to her.