Heaven Comes to Those Who Wait … and Hire a Private Investigator

It took hiring a private investigator, but Heaven is back.

Eight months ago, I wrote about a cat named Heaven whose owner Dawn had reported her missing in Santa Monica.

Here is how that post began:

What would you do if your cat got out, a microchip informed it was many miles away, contact came from someone a county away, you were told the finder may not give the feline back and police were reluctant to help?

Heaven, a spayed female, indoor-only calico with green eyes went missing on Aug. 2, 2015. Her microchip alert went off on Oct. 26, stating that the feline had been found by someone named Brenda with a Mission Viejo telephone number.

Here’s what Dawn says happened next: The number came back invalid, the microchip company reported that was the only number they had on file for Brenda, and the cat’s owner contacted Orange County animal hospitals, shelters, clinics, veterinarians and animal control agencies to see if they had scanned Heaven. That same evening, Dawn received a cryptic call from someone named Anna with a restricted phone number. The caller wanted to know if Dawn was Heaven’s owner, and when the answer came back yes, “She then started to berate me on how my cat was found so far away.”

Dawn was told of Heaven, “She was so sick,” “How could this have happened?” and “She is scared and skittish around people,” before the cat’s owner was informed Anna was “intervening” for an unidentified family that had the feline. Pleas from Dawn that she was Heaven’s owner, that she wanted her back and that if the cat was not returned it would constitute property theft fell on deaf ears.

The Santa Monica Police Department was contacted, but Dawn says they were reluctant to help and suggested she hire a private investigator.

So that’s what Dawn ultimately did, even though it busted her budget.

After an investigation, Dawn discovered Heaven was indeed with a woman named Brenda, who is in her 50s, divorced, with no children, residing in a $650,000 Mission Viejo home and driving a brand new white truck. Dawn claims her lawyer sent Brenda a letter demanding $2,000 as repayment for costs associated with finding Heaven, but it fell on deaf ears so they are headed for small claims court.

“I drove over two hours to pick up Heaven,” writes Dawn in an email. “Brenda would not confront or deal with me. She had her sister … do her dirty work. No apologies. I am upset that she has literally gone unpunished for her deliberate crime of pet stealing.”

Dawn ends on a positive note.

“Just wanted to give you the glorious good news! God answered my prayer! Heaven is so happy to be home with her sister Halle. It was a long haul but I did not give up! It has been eight months since her chip alert went off! But she is finally home safe and sound!”

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