It is a pleasure to tell my story of how Kat Albrecht of Pet Hunters and her beloved search dog Rachel found our cat, Muffin, and helped to bring closure in the loss of our cat Pippi.

It was a warm evening, with a full moon, and that was unusual for our area near the ocean. Muffin and Pippi did not want to stay indoors that night. They ran inside, circled the kitchen, and then ran back outside. Late that evening, I looked out and saw one cat sitting by my car and the other by a bush next to the car.

The next morning both cats were gone. I called and called for them in the front and back yards, and then walked up and down our neighborhood to no avail. What I found were bloodstains near my car, a nearby bush and a pool of blood in the street.

I remembered reading about Kat and her work. In a frantic state, I decided to call her, not knowing she was in the middle of a seminar in San Jose. I was very emotional in telling her about the missing cats. I must have sounded stressed and excited because she left the auditorium and stood outside, missing much of the seminar. She really wanted to find out more and asked many questions. Since it was late, she said that the earliest she could meet with me would be the next afternoon because of her police work schedule.

When Kat arrived, she left Rachel in her search vehicle and met me at the door. I invited her in and we sat down. She asked many more questions about my missing cats, Muffin and Pippi. She wrote everything down and asked if I had any pictures of them.

Kat then went to her vehicle and let Rachel out. Rachel was fitted with her gear and Kat took her to the bloodstains and pool of blood. She also spotted some fur on the ground. Kat then gave Rachel her lead. She searched the neighborhood, trying to pick up the scent. Once she did, she started up the hilly street pulling at Kat. My husband and I followed them up to the top of a rugged hill. Rachel and Kat went all over the hill as we stood by watching. To our amazement, Rachel flushed Muffin out from some bushes.

Pippi was never found, but Kat believed that a coyote came that night and grabbed her. Muffin, knowing what happened to her friend, had left home to find her.

We were so thankful that Kat and Rachel found Muffin and helped to bring closure to the loss of Pippi. We gave Muffin extra love after that, but she was never the same. She knew what had happened to Pippi, but being a cat, she could never tell us.

Kat and Rachel became very special to us. Kat's compassion for people, love of animals and her concern for missing pets have led her to use her knowledge and techniques in training others to be pet detectives all over the United States. Our world needs more people like Kat.

Marilyn Maynard