An accidental catnapping led to a dramatic Monday and the return of a beloved feline friend of Wharf Street in Daajing Giids last week.
Stella, the black cat who roams freely around downtown, went missing on Friday, June 21, and was returned the following Monday after a community outcry for her return.
It became clear that Stella didn’t go willingly, as some cats are known to do. Like many citizens of Daajing Giids, she had been taken home by someone who was concerned and loved her.
Jackie Wilson, owner of Charlisle, noticed Stella was missing on Sunday, and by “divine intervention,” she was able to figure out where Stella went.
After realizing she had been taken from her Wharf Street neighbourhood, the missing feline was reported to the RCMP.
“Unfortunately, since none of us are Stella’s owners, we have no claim to her,” Wilson said.
Local business owners and Stella fans took it upon themselves to get Stella home, explaining to the concerned cat lovers who had the cat that Stella was indeed a loved kitty and not up for adoption.
“I know there was no malicious intent in taking her,” Wilson said.
Stella was recovering from a recent injury that resulted in a visit to the Haida Gwaii Animal Hospital, and had just been released from her healing space in Funk It.
“I cannot stress enough that if people are concerned about an animal’s welfare, they contact the Animal Helpline or vet’s office before taking things into their own hands,” Wilson said.
Stella was returned to Wharf Street after spending a weekend being pampered and loved at the temporary home. She now has a pretty pink collar to show she is loved and cared for and to avoid another missing-Stella scenario.
Stella’s owner, Ashley Bruce, was off-island for the whole ordeal.
“I didn’t know until five minutes after she was rescued,” she said.
Bruce, who was driving out of cell service, said she was shocked when all at once she got 14 messages from her Facebook friends and another eight from concerned citizens about Stella going missing.
Bruce said she knows how much the neighbourhood loves her cat. She said she gets compliments about Stella every time she leaves the house.
“Everyone loves Stella so much,” she said.
Andrea Barker, owner of Funk It, has been feeding and caring for Stella along with her owners for almost three years.
Stella and Barker became friends after Stella was mistakenly locked in the store one night. After that, the frightened cat became a constant in the Funk It store and garden. She ventures down to Isabel Creek Store and tries to get a seat at Blacktail restaurant some nights.
“She has her own fan club that comes here just to visit her,” Barker said. “They don’t need a plant or anything. They just come to see her.”
Stella has a bed and a food bowl at Funk It. Sometimes the crows fly in to snag food from her bowl in the store’s entryway.
Stella is known to most locals who shop in downtown Daajing Giids and has even managed to become a local icon with her own sticker line available at Charlisle.
After Stella returned home, the community showed interest in making her the official Wharf Street mascot.
Ashley and her family plan to move eventually and will bring Stella to their new home. But Ashley told the Haida Gwaii News she would bring Stella back into town to visit her many adoring fans.