Rehoming a pet is never an easy decision, and there are countless reasons why it may happen. It's important to avoid judgment when hearing such stories. A remarkable tale from The Pongo Fund, an animal hunger charity in Oregon, reminds us that rehoming a beloved pet can sometimes be the best choice for everyone involved.
The charity shared the story of two cats, Penny and Lucy, and the two women who loved them. It's not entirely a sad story, nor is it a purely happy one. It's a story of love, loss, and unexpected connections, filled with emotion that has touched the hearts of many.
The Pongo Fund explained:
“One woman reached out to us asking to rehome her cats as soon as possible. Both were 12 years old, and she'd cared for them for 10 years. She wanted to travel and do things she hadn’t been able to do for a decade because of her cats. As difficult as it was, she knew it was time to let them go.
She wasn’t planning to go anywhere exotic—no summer in France or vacationing in exotic destinations. What she longed for was to visit her mom, reconnect with old friends, and return to where she came from. Her journey was about reconnecting with family, and she wanted to experience it fully.
Letting go of her cats wasn’t part of the plan, but neither was cancer. Her oncologist gave her one or two years to live, and if there were things she wanted to do, now was the time to do them.
She had adopted Penny and Lucy from The Pongo Fund 10 years ago during a time when her life had completely unraveled. She had lost her home, her marriage, and everything she knew. She loved her cats so much that she asked us to find them a new home, and we did.
Now, it was time for us to return the favor and find a new family for Penny and Lucy.
The woman didn’t want to part with them, but she knew it was what was best for them, just as the previous woman had known 10 years ago. Imagine loving someone so much that you make the heart-wrenching decision to let them go.
Penny and Lucy. Pure love.
She asked that if possible, she could meet the person who would adopt them. She wanted to make sure they knew just how special Penny and Lucy were. She wanted them to have all their toys, beds, food, and treats. She even shared a little detail about Lucy’s upset tummy and how she would comfort her by singing to her while rubbing her belly.
Her only request was that the two cats stay together, as they had always shared a bed, even though each had their own.
She wanted to make sure we didn’t think poorly of her. She just knew that soon, the cats would have a new family, whether she liked it or not. If she could meet them first, it would make the decision a little easier.
We understood how hard this was for her, as she was the one who had taken Penny and Lucy in 10 years ago when they had nowhere else to go. Now, she was asking someone else to do the same.
Finding a home for two senior cats is never easy. But we had one possible lead.
We reached out to a woman who had once lived in Portland but had since moved to another state. Years ago, she had to give up her two cats when her life fell apart. She had since rebuilt her life with a new job and a new home, but she had always followed The Pongo Fund’s Facebook page, offering support and love.
She had told us that if we ever needed to find a home for a cat, we could reach out to her. She knew the pain of having to let go of her own pets, and she would be ready to offer a loving home.
What no one knew was that the cats she had once loved so deeply were the same cats she would now have the chance to welcome back into her life.
After a few updates over the years, the woman had heard about Penny and Lucy's well-being. But she had never known their new lives until now.
We called her. We told her we had two cats in need of a home. She didn’t know it at first, but as we shared more details, she stopped speaking and began sobbing. That's when she realized.
Sometimes life has a way of coming full circle. The woman who had let go of her beloved cats was now welcoming them back home.
A few days later, in Portland, the two women, united by their shared love for Penny and Lucy, hugged and exchanged gratitude. One had to say goodbye, and the other was getting a second chance.
As for the cats, they are now back with the woman who loved them so much that she had to let them go all those years ago, only to welcome them back into her heart.
This story is a reminder that life can come full circle in the most unexpected ways, and sometimes, love means letting go. We never know the full story behind someone's decision, but kindness, grace, and understanding go a long way.
As one commenter wrote, “This is why every person who gives up a pet should be treated with dignity and grace.”
Life can be unpredictable, but this touching story of love, sacrifice, and connection shows that sometimes, things work out in ways we could never imagine.