Harley recovered

Six months later, Warwick family reunited with their lost cat, By Linda Smith Hancharick Warwick — The Vitiello family is one happy, reunited family today — human and feline alike - thanks to the kindness of strangers and their belief that all creatures, no matter their age, are worth caring for. Their drama started in late May when their beloved 14-year-old black and white house cat, Harley, went missing from their Little York Road home. Harley, along with the family’s three other cats — Jerry, Sasha and Lebowski — are primarily indoor cats, but Tony Vitiello said they would all go outside with him, his wife, Kate, and their three-year-old son, Mason, on occasion. “But they were always happy to come back inside,” said Tony. On this particular day, though, Harley didn’t return. He had been having some health problems, Tony said, growing frail over the past year and having lost some weight because of a suspected thyroid problem. The family didn’t panic right away, but when Harley didn’t return in a few days, they began to worry he might not be coming back. “He was with us long before we were married,” said Tony. “He was one of the very first gifts I ever gave to my wife when we first met 14 years ago.” Tony and Kate adopted Harley from the Humane Society in Monterey, California, at the time. He made the cross-country trip to Warwick with the couple five years ago. His personality, according to Tony, was what made him so special. “He’s so human-like,” said Tony. “He was always a gently, loving companion.” Eventually, after checking the Humane Society, posting signs and canvassing the neighborhood, the family believed Harley had just slipped into the woods behind their home to pass away gently, quietly. “We celebrated his life and mourned his loss,” said Tony. But a week didn’t go by without Kate checking out the lost and found pet section of the newspapers. She wouldn’t walk past a lost or found pet poster without checking. “Kate would read the animal ads all the time, even before we lost Harley,” Tony said. “She wants to bring them all home with us.” Last week, Kate was reading The Warwick Advertiser when she came to the Pet Care and Services Guide. Her eyes were drawn to the Adopt-A-Pet ad that featured a picture of a black-and-white cat. “November is Adopt-a-Senior Pet Month” read the headline. “Look at this,” Kate said to Tony as he cooked dinner. “This cat looks like Harley.” Then she began reading the ad aloud. “Raymond is a 14-16 year old large, thin, black and white male cat who was seen thrown out of a car on Newport Bridge Road in June.” June? Newport Bridge Road is not far from their home. She continued, “He was emaciated and near death but has made a miracle comeback after two months in the hospital. He requires no special care other than a simple thyroid pill once daily, lots of good food, a comfortable place to snooze the day away and of course, love.” Thyroid pill? Fourteen to sixteen years old? Could it be? Could it possibly be our Harley, they thought? They studied the picture and, with her heart racing, Kate called the Humane Society hotline. It was after-hours but someone answered the phone. Kate told her their story and, knowing it was a real long shot, asked her to check out “Raymond” to see if he had a notch in his left ear and a broken right fang, which Harley broke when he was just a kitten. Becky, the Humane Society employee, put the phone down and went into the cat room to check out “Raymond.” When she came back, she confirmed Kate’s suspicion. Their beloved Harley was alive and well and charming the staff at the Humane Society. Tony learned from shelter personnel that Harley had been only three pounds when he came to the shelter in June, suffering from his thyroid condition and a parasitic infection. Normally, Harley was about 12 pounds. A good samaritan called the shelter after seeing him thrown from a moving car on Newport Bridge Road. He was brought to local veterinarian Dr. Joseph Adams, who kept Harley in intensive care for two months, slowly nursing him back from near death. Harley was well enough to return to the shelter in August, where he has lived ever since. “Harley’s recovery was lovingly administered by the quality folks at the Warwick Valley Humane Society who recognized the same amazing qualities in Harley that has earned him ‘beloved’ status in our household,” said Tony. Last Friday night couldn’t pass quick enough for the Vitiello family. Saturday at noon they would be at the shelter door when they opened to readopt their beloved Harley. It just so happened there was a line of people at the shelter Saturday for the annual pet pictures with Santa fundraiser. The Vitiellos were allowed special status and went right to the front of the line to be reacquainted with Harley. The good news spread quickly, and, after a long chat with staff and a quick picture with Santa, the Vitiellos were greeted with cheers by those waiting for pictures themselves. Harley remembered his family almost immediately, Tony said. “He is reverting to his regular routine,” Tony said just two days after the happy reunion. “This holiday season, our family gives thanks for all the people at the Warwick Valley Humane Society and Dr. Adams, who dedicate their lives to the protection of animals lost and in distress,” said Tony. “You are truly heroes in our eyes and we owe you a tremendous debt of gratitude.” “Never in our wildest dreams did we think we’d ever see Harley again,” he said. “It’s a dream come true.”