After 12 years of roaming, Butters the cat is home again, thanks to a microchip

Paul Albani-Burgio, Palm Springs Desert Sun
Updated ·2 min read
Animal Services Supervisor Alison Chavez greets a cat named Butters at an the animal shelter in Jurupa Valley. Butters was brought to the shelter after he was found wandering in Blythe, 12 years after he went missing from his owners in San Diego.
Animal Services Supervisor Alison Chavez greets a cat named Butters at an the animal shelter in Jurupa Valley. Butters was brought to the shelter after he was found wandering in Blythe, 12 years after he went missing from his owners in San Diego.

It’s become a cliché that “you can never go home again. But nobody seems to have told Butters the cat.

Riverside County Animal Control Officer Dalton Churchwell was at home in Blythe earlier this month when he noticed a cat roaming around his yard.

And when he caught the cat and scanned its microchip, he made a stunning discovery: Butters had been missing from his family in San Diego since 2011.

Churchwell then called Butters’ owners, who he learned are now in Stanwood, Washington, which is north of Seattle. They were ecstatic to learn Butters had been found, but also mystified about how he had ended up in Blythe, which is over 200 miles east of San Diego.

“It was just unbelievable…” said Angelino Castellino, who owns Butters with his wife, in a press release issued by Riverside County.

Animal Services volunteer Larry Rudolph holds a cat named Butters in a bag before their flight from Ontario International Airport.
Animal Services volunteer Larry Rudolph holds a cat named Butters in a bag before their flight from Ontario International Airport.

Castellino said he was thankful to Churchwell for going out of his way to catch and scan Butters during his time off. He also said that Butters was always an adventurous cat.

The release said Angelo and Shelley were eager to get Butters back home but “distance was an issue.”

Upon hearing the story, The ASK Foundation, which supports Riverside County’s Department of Animal Services, offered to pay for the cost of a flight to Seattle so Butters could reunite with his family.

A week after Butters was first found, county animal services volunteer Larry Rudolph flew with Butters to Seattle. The release states that Butters got a health examination to be cleared for travel from Animal Samaritans, an animal welfare organization focused on the desert portions of Riverside County.

Larry Rudolph, left stands with the Castellinos, Angelo (left) and Shelley (right), at the airport in Washington state. They were there to be reunited with their cat, Butters, who had gone missing from their then-home in San Diego 12 years prior.
Larry Rudolph, left stands with the Castellinos, Angelo (left) and Shelley (right), at the airport in Washington state. They were there to be reunited with their cat, Butters, who had gone missing from their then-home in San Diego 12 years prior.

Beyond being both a heartwarming story and clear sign clichés don’t apply to cats, animal services said Butters’ odyssey is a reminder to pet owners about the importance of microchipping their pet and then keeping the contact information up to date. Riverside County pet owners can check their pet’s microchip information at rcdas.org/microchip-registration.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Cat reunited with his owners after wandering California for 12 years