The owners of a missing cat in the eastern suburbs of Sydney are in “absolute shock” after the vet who cared for her admitted to having given the beloved pet to the wrong person by accident.
Katie Matthews and Bernardo Matuck of Queens Park, took their cat, Tara, to Bondi Junction Veterinary Hospital to be cared for while they both went to see their families abroad.
But in a text message this week, the vet confessed that there had been some confusion, and now Tara was gone.
Matthews, who is in the UK, told nine.com.au that they left Tara about three and a half weeks ago and were assured she would be cared for. (Supplied)
He had been given by mistake to a family that had a cat named Lara, and the vet said it was the same color.
Matthews said they were “in absolute shock” and “out of them” after learning what happened.
Matthews, who is in the UK, said he was confident Tara would be cared for when she was left three and a half weeks ago.
The couple rescued Tara from the same vet four years ago.
The owners of a missing cat in the eastern suburbs of Sydney say they are “absolutely shocked” after the vet where he was boarding admitted to giving it to the wrong person by accident, who then let it out. Katie Matthews and Bernardo Matuck of Queens Park near Bondi, took their cat, Tara, to Bondi Junction Veterinary Hospital to be cared for while they both went to see their families abroad. (Supplied) “They know her very well,” Matthews told nine.com.au.
“There a vet said, ‘We’re always very happy to see Tara, she’ll get a lot of hugs.’
Matthews said Tara had stayed at the vet all the holidays they had had since they took her in.
“Obviously, we trusted them to take care of Tara,” he said.
“We wanted to make sure he was with people who loved him.
The squirrel cat owner said “there is no excuse” for the mix.
The vet said they were doing their best to locate Tara in the text message sent to warn Matthews of the mistake. (Supplied)
“You really couldn’t confuse it with another cat because its color is so distinctive,” he said.
“It doesn’t make any sense. The reason they gave it is not good enough.”
The vet said they were doing their best to locate Tara in the text message sent to warn Matthews of the mistake.
“Last night, one of our employees accidentally discharged Tara instead of a cat named Lara to Bondi,” the text read.
“They were both turtles and the person who picked her up was her grandmother and she didn’t know what a cat was like.
“He took Tara home and the neighbor came and said it wasn’t her cat.
“I’m so sorry to have to let you know this.”
The vet told Matthews they were hanging posters and tracking his microchip, adding that staff would be retrained after the crash.
The text message said, “Last night one of the staff members accidentally discharged Tara instead of a cat named Lara.” (Supplied)
“I can’t believe it could have happened and the staff will be properly trained,” the text said.
“I can’t apologize enough and we are all very anxious as I imagine you will be.
“We’re doing everything we can.”
Nine.com.au has contacted Bondi Junction Veterinary Hospital for comment.
The company has acknowledged the confusion in a Facebook post, where they claimed that Tara “escaped to the back garden and jumped the fence of the house where they took her.”
The posters put up by the vet. (Supplied)
“One staff member gave the wrong cat to the mother of another turtle cat,” the post said.
“It was a human mistake and the staff involved are very upset because we love and live for the pets we have in our care.”
Residents have taken to the streets to look for the cat.
Matthews said the vet had hung posters, but most have disintegrated in the rain.
“It’s not even about blaming, it’s just about getting it back,” he said.
Matthews said her partner’s gown was with Tara when she was sent to the vet, which could have been used to try to lure her.
The couple is offered a $ 500 reward.
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If you see Tara, you can contact the vet on 02 9389 8411.