A devastated cat owner was reunited with her beloved pet after 11 years, but was forced to put him down weeks later.
Sharne Emms had been separated from her black and white moggy Densel in the build up to Christmas 2013.
The mother-of-two spent over a decade worrying about what happened to him.
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Sharne, of Evesham, Worcestershire, had adopted Densel when he was handed in to the vet practice she worked in.
At age four, Densel had disappeared, forcing Sharne to report him missing to the microchip company.
She posted countless pleas on social media, posters all around her local area and going door-to-door to try and find him.
However, the mystery ended after Sharne received an unexpected call from the Charity Cats Protection.
Densel had been handed into the charity and was identified to be him through a microchip, which was provided by the Pet Health Club.
The news left the vet-nurse ecstatic, quickly welcoming the cat back into the family home, as reported by Need To Know.
Unfortunately, the emotional reunion was short lived, after Densel was diagnosed with cancer.
He had terminal lymphoma and had to be put down.
The microchip played a vital role in allowing Sharne to be with her pet in his last moments, with this practice becoming a legal requirement in England.
Sharne Emms said: “I couldn’t believe we’d been reunited, and in such a short time, I had to say goodbye.
“It has been heartbreaking, but at least I know that in his final days he was safe, getting love and attention, and he was happy to be with me.
“From my experience as a vet nurse, I know how microchipping has helped reunite owners with their lost cats.
“But there have also been such sad cases where there wasn’t a microchip and that didn’t happen.
“A microchip meant Densel managed to make his way back home at the end and that shows how important they are.
“I just couldn’t take it in.
“It had been 11 years, and I couldn’t believe he’d been found.
“I went along immediately and when I walked in and saw him, I burst into tears.
“I recognised him straight away and he obviously knew my voice as soon as I called his name.”
“He was purring happily as I stroked him and started eating which they hadn’t managed to get him to do.
“It was such a lovely, emotional moment.
“It was absolutely devastating, and everyone was in tears.
“But I’m grateful that Densel’s microchip allowed us to be reunited at last.”
Senior vet surgeon Amelia Battersby, of the Pet Health Club network of UK vets, said: “Microchipping is over in seconds but the benefits last a lifetime.
“This case shows why it’s so important and why Pet Health Club members get microchipping as part of their benefits, alongside vaccinations and vet-prescribed flea and worm treatments.”
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