ICE’s detainment and deportations are no doubt violent, stressful, and heartbreaking, but now it appears even pets are falling victim to their operations. A toothless feline from southern Utah suddenly became a stray and then a shelter cat after ICE deported his human. However, the heartbroken cat might get his second chance not only at adoption but also in finding his original owner, thanks to a couple of kind cat parents.
This heartwarming rescue story originated from a TikTok account named saltandpepper_tails, which is run by a married couple. Apparently, they found “George” in a Petco in southern Utah and decided to pick that name for him, as no one knew what he was originally called, not even the shelter. According to Petco, George’s owner was deported by ICE, and the federal agents just left him behind.
“We walked in, and I see the lady from the shelter, she says ‘All right, let’s put George away,’ she pulls out this fluffy, orange, beautiful cat. He’s crying immediately and she explains ‘his owner was deported and they just left him [George] alone in the house,’ and I immediately start tearing up,” recalls Emma Mae Davis, the cat mom who runs the TikTok account. Hence, they adopted George, eventually introducing him to their other cats.
Sadly, the shelter also didn’t know George’s age and how he became toothless, but Davis further explains that George has been a champ when it came to socializing with them and their other cats. George’s lack of aggression when it comes to belly rubs and strangers has led Davis to assume that his original owner took care of him well. At the moment, the couple is trying to speak Spanish to George in an attempt to make him more comfortable.
People online are relieved at George’s situation, but still heartbroken
In addition to trying to speak Spanish to George, the couple is currently trying to locate George’s original owner and where they were deported. Davis, however, has declared a willingness to keep George if they can’t find George’s original owner. Meanwhile, it appears George is still adjusting to his new life and new family, one careful step and sniff at a time. So while George is in good hands now, his original owner could be struggling, and there are many others like George, who were separated from their family.
People online are thus condemning ICE and the Trump administration’s immigration policies. George’s case is only one among many, painting just how destructive ICE’s activities and deportations can be, even for cats or other species. “ICE took his person and now he waits for someone who is not coming home. Also, [expletive] everyone who voted for Trump,” fumes a commenter on the TikTok video.
“The Ice agents don’t care about the destruction they create – thanks for giving this little guy a home. it must have been traumatic!” points out another commenter on one of the update videos for George. Others have praised Emma Davis for their help, “Speaking to him in Spanish is so sweet 🥺 Poor baby, so many furry family members will be left like this. 😭” while many are mad at the current US president, “I hate Trump. [Expletive].”
