An animal detective agency which charges £1,000 for a 15-hour lost pet search is on the hunt for missing moggy Marmite from Hove.
Animal Search UK was contacted by Nicola Patient, whose seven-year-old cat Marmite went missing from the family home in Reynolds Road on 17 May 2015.
The team of pet detectives is led by former police officer Tom Watkins, who has over 18 years of investigation experience.
He and his colleagues are often requested to carry out door to door enquiries or can assist with posters, leaflets, advice and expert support for owners as well as a 24-hour hotline for reported sightings or tip-offs.
Mr Watkins said: “Most missing pets are found within a few miles of home – the challenge faced by owners, is making sure that as many people as possible know that their pet has gone missing, and encouraging them to be vigilant in keeping an eye out for them.
“Unfortunately, work and family commitments often mean that owners don’t have as much time as they’d like to devote scouring the area looking for their missing pet.
“We’ll make sure that we have as much background as possible before we commence our investigation. We’ll check details about their normal routine, and their usual patterns of movement in the area.”
Marmite is a grey tom cat with yellow eyes, He is chipped and neutered and his owner is desperate to have him back. He was not wearing a collar.
The company launched 15 years ago, and now has as many as 2000 visitors a day to its free website, scanning the lost and found databases in the hope of being reunited with their missing pets.
However, not all cat owners are entirely convinced a pet detective would be a worthwhile investment.
Charlie Doidge, who lives in Lincoln Street, Brighton with her cat Bling, said she was “highly dubious”, adding: “I’d be happy to find out more, i.e. what special cat finding superpowers they have that would achieve relocation within 15 hours.
“There might be a few cynics but if they have a good success rate, that would be worth investigating.”
Anyone with news, information or who has a sighting of Marmite should ring the Animal Search UK free confidential helpline on 0800 4 320 340 and quote case ref: 220836 or search on the website www.animalsearchuk.co.uk for pet ref: ALP220836
Lines are open 24 hours a day and you can remain anonymous if you wish or email information to info@animalsearchuk.co.uk
