By Ivan Pereira
Airport officials have not discovered the whereabouts of a four-legged traveler who got lost in the shuffle when John F. Kennedy International Airport had to shut down for Hurricane Irene, but they are getting tremendous support from the feline’s growing online fanbase.
Representatives from the Port Authority and American Airlines said they have not found Jack the cat, who disappeared from Terminal 8 Aug. 25, two days before the PA shut down the airports in advance of the storm. Jack and his owner, Karen Pascoe, were supposed to board Flight 177 from New York to San Francisco, but the feline got away from its kennel in the baggage area, according to a spokesman for American Airlines. He was discovered missing as the airport stopped service.
The PA and the airline have taken several precautions to get Jack home safe and sound.
“We have been in touch with Jack’s owner since the incident occurred and will continue to work with her to help find Jack,” American Airlines spokesman Ned Raynolds said in a statement. “American shares our customers’ concern for finding Jack. We offer our sincere regrets for this incident and are doing everything possible to locate him.”
Pascoe could not be reached for comment as of press time, but she accepted the airline’s offer to come back to New York Friday and help out with the search, according to American Airlines. She was not alone in the search.
In addition to reviewing surveillance footage, placing humane traps with cat food and searching every inch of the terminal, the airline has hired animal search and rescue experts to help find Jack. The airline said it did not know how the cat got out of its kennel, but it has placed food in it just in case he wants to return there.
The search for Jack has received strong support through social networking sites. A Facebook page “Jack The Cat is Lost in AA Baggage” has more than 12,000 fans and is growing as news of the lost feline has gone viral on the Internet.
Aside from offering their support, the fans are also posting humorous greetings and solutions to finding Jack. One user posted a picture of a dog yawning with the caption “Jaaaaaaaaack, where are you!?!?!”
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
