For more than three years, Kelly DeKett has owned a black and gray tabby with a white underbelly.
His name is Bob. He’s an outdoor cat with a black mark under his chin and kinked tail. During cold and rainy winter months, he resides inside DeKett’s home in Spanaway that she shares with her elderly mother, who’s bonded with the feline. He enjoys roaming outside, walking along a fence and visiting neighbors for free handouts, according to DeKett.
On Oct. 1, Bob didn’t come home for dinner. After a nearly two-week search, DeKett found him. Now, she wonders if she’ll ever get him back.
Bob had been stolen, taken to an animal shelter and soon after adopted by a new family when no one claimed him, according to a lawsuit filed by DeKett last month in an effort to retrieve the cat.
DeKett, 52, sued The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County, seeking a court order to return Bob. She accused the shelter of acting negligently and standing in the way of her attempt to recover her stolen property.