For years, customers at a Lowe’s near Richmond, Virginia, have come for the tools, but stayed for the cat.
Francine, a white-and-speckled stray, first wandered into the store in 2017 and never left. “She’s the first stop for probably 75 percent of our customers,” said store manager Mike Sida. “She’s extremely friendly, and she loves people. There’s a lot of people that come here just to visit Francine.”
So when the beloved calico suddenly vanished last month, hearts broke across the community. A missing pet poster was printed offering a $2,000 reward, and loyal customer Chas Nabi launched a “Where’s Francine?” Instagram page that drew nearly 35,000 followers in a matter of days.
Security footage later revealed that Francine had accidentally hitched a ride in the back of a delivery truck headed 85 miles south to a Lowe’s distribution center in Garysburg, North Carolina. Workers there began a massive search, checking over a million square feet of warehouse space, monitoring 246 cameras, setting humane traps, and even deploying thermal drones.
Finally, 17 days later, Francine was spotted on camera. Sida and fellow employee Wayne Schneider drove straight to North Carolina to bring her home. “She was crying a little bit once we got her,” Wayne said. “Then she got in my arms and it just felt like pure joy.”
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When Francine returned to the Richmond store, she was greeted like a hero. Even the mayor of Richmond, Danny Avula, celebrated her return on Instagram, writing, “Your compassion, dedication and community spirit remind me of why this city is so special.”
Now safely back at her favorite Lowe’s, Francine wears a harness and tracking tag, but her story continues to spread far beyond the aisles.
“During incredibly polarized times,” Nabi said, “It’s amazing to see everybody, no matter what their background is, come together over this little cat.”
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