Sand Springs Animal Welfare is searching for answers after discovering a stray cat with an unlikely origin story.
SAND SPRINGS, Okla. — What began as a routine stray pickup took an unexpected turn when Sand Springs Animal Welfare scanned a wandering cat for a microchip—only to find it was registered thousands of miles away in the United Kingdom.
The feline, affectionately named Samson by shelter staff, appeared healthy and well-cared for when he was brought in. But when staff checked his microchip—a common practice to reunite lost pets with owners—they were stunned to learn the chip was linked to an address in the U.K., more than 4,000 miles from Oklahoma.
“He was in really good condition, so we weren’t sure what was going on,” Tracy Anderson, the shelter’s animal welfare coordinator, told KOKI-TV. “We scanned him, called the microchip company, and they said it was registered in the U.K.”
A Transatlantic Mix-Up?
Determined to solve the mystery, Sand Springs reached out to a dog warden in the U.K. for assistance. The warden provided contact information for the woman listed as Samson’s owner—but when contacted, she confirmed her own cat was safe at home.
Anderson suspects a clerical error during microchipping may have caused the mix-up. “Something happened when he got chipped, and his information probably got switched with another cat’s,” she said. Despite efforts to trace other possible microchip records, no leads have surfaced.
A Future Home Awaits
For now, Samson remains in the care of Sand Springs Animal Welfare as the search for his true owner continues. If no one comes forward, the shelter plans to place him in a loving adoptive home.
“Somebody loved this cat and put the money into getting him over here—it’s just hard to tell what happened,” Anderson said. “Maybe they passed away or something. But he’s with us, and he’ll get a good home either way.”
The shelter encourages pet owners to ensure their microchip information is up to date to avoid similar confusion. Meanwhile, Samson’s journey—from an unknown past in the U.K. to an Oklahoma shelter—remains an intriguing mystery.
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