The family of 11-year-old Lilly Frappier Pellerin are still trying to get the youngster's cat back home to her.
On Wednesday, the family launched a Change.org petition in an effort to drum up public interest in the case, wherein Rusty the cat isn’t being relinquished by PetSave Sudbury.
The petition is available by clicking here.
At issue is an agreement the family signed when they adopted Rusty from PetSave approximately eight years ago.
At the time, they agreed that Rusty would be an inside cat only, but he has since been allowed to roam freely. A neighbour caught him and brought him in to PetSave Sudbury, whose founder, Jill Pessot, has decided to keep him.
“This cat is very, very lucky it made it to PetSave,” Pessot told Sudbury.com earlier this week. “If they end up outdoors, they’re mine. I’m not returning them.”
Pessot and the Pellerin family are of two different minds when it comes to outdoor cats.
Family patriarch James Pellerin describes Rusty as a “free spirit” and believes that keeping him indoors would be cruel.
Pessot maintains that outdoor cats have a tendency to die, be it a result of being struck by vehicles or attacked by wildlife. She also said residents have been known to trap cats and release them in the woods, which is a death sentence, and she also suspects that poison traps have been set to kill roaming cats in Rusty’s Bruce Avenue neighbourhood.
As for retaining Rusty, Pessot argued that if he were returned to the family, he might be allowed back outside again, where his life might be cut short.
In the Change.org petition, Rusty is defended as a “cherished member” of the family.
“Having Rusty at home brought her comfort and companionship, something every child deserves from their pet,” according to the petition. “When Jill Pessot took Rusty, it left Lilly devastated and confused, unable to understand why her friend was suddenly gone.
“Cats roam outdoors, and just like many other pets in Sudbury's close-knit neighborhoods, they occasionally explore beyond their home territories. However, this does not mean they lose their status as valued pets. Jill's actions have set a troubling precedent, and her claim over any cat she sees outside is not justifiable.”
On Thursday, James Pellerin told Sudbury.com that his family isn’t letting up in their efforts to get Rusty back.
At the latest update, police were “looking into it,” he said.
A police spokesperson told Sudbury.come earlier this week that it appears to be a civil matter.
Alongside the petition, Pellerin said the next step will be hosting a GoFundMe fundraiser to raise legal expenses to get a lawyer involved.
“I don’t want it to reach that point,” Pellerin said, adding that their only goal is to get Rusty back.
Pellerin also clarified that he respects much of what Pessot does and has accomplished with PetSave, but that he disagrees with her when it comes to both outdoor cats and her decision to retain Rusty.
Sudbury.com also reached out to Pessot for further comment but did not secure an interview by the time of publication.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.