Francine, the famous cat who lived for years at the West Broad Street Lowe's in Richmond, Virginia, has gone missing after an accidental ride in a semi truck.
How it happened: On September 18th, security footage caught Francine walking onto a delivery truck at the store's loading dock. The truck headed to a distribution center in Garysburg, North Carolina.
- Staff first noticed Francine was gone on September 19th and started looking for her with help from shoppers and animal rescue volunteers.
- At the distribution center, workers saw a cat on a truck two days later. They tried to keep her contained for the SPCA, but someone mistakenly opened the door, and Francine escaped into the yard.
Community response: Francine has a loyal following. She’s known as “Lowe’s cat” to many Richmond locals. Word about her disappearance spread fast on social media, and people are working together to track her down—some say she’s “the glue that holds Richmond together.”
What Lowe’s says: The company put out a statement thanking everyone for helping search for Francine. She was microchipped, and the team hopes to get her home safe soon.
The Richmond SPCA has set traps at the distribution center, but as of September 30th, Francine has not been found, reported WTVR.