Rodney used to love being at Marton's ITM store. Photo / Supplied
Rodney used to love being at Marton's ITM store. Photo / Supplied
The beloved Marton cat who was the subject of a month-long search after being allegedly dumped on the outskirts of the town has gone missing again after being rehomed for the second time.
But he kept returning to his old home at the Marton ITM store until the store contacted vets and the SPCA for advice.
It was then decided that it would be best to move him away from Marton and he was adopted out to a couple in New Plymouth, a SPCA spokeswoman confirmed.
She said that rehoming in Marton didn't make sense as Rodney would likely try to return to ITM again.
"It is very normal practice to have animals transported like that," she said. "He was surrendered to us by the owner at the time and we went through the right processes."
Beverley Dowling from Rodney's Rescues, a group that had helped in the original search for Rodney, said another member had spotted a cat called Robby on a lost and found SPCA Facebook page.
"They got hold of me and it was definitely Rodney," she said.
Dowling said the group had a plan to have him rehomed with one of the main searchers for Rodney when he went missing in July if the first Marton home didn't work out but they were not contacted at all through the process.
The SPCA spokeswoman said Rodney had been with the new New Plymouth owners for three days before running away and has been missing since October 20.
Rodney has gone missing once again after running away from his new home in New Plymouth. Photo / Supplied
"It's sad for the new owners. They didn't know Rodney's story. At the end of the day we just want to get him home."
Dowling said it was a series of unfortunate events that led to his disappearance and to not blame a single individual or organisation.
"If you look back at the waterfall of the decisions that were made, things might have turned out quite different," she said.
Rodney's Rescue has set up a donation page, with all the money being used to make flyers to put around New Plymouth and petrol money for those looking for Rodney.
Dowling is heading up to New Plymouth in the next week and has assembled Team Taranaki to locate Rodney.
Food traps and flyers have been put out around New Plymouth.
