From GreenevilleSun.com and The Greeneville Neighbor News

BAILEYTON, Tenn. – Snowballs' big adventure” started here after he bolted away during a bathroom break at Exit 36 on Interstate 81. The kitty, along with his family's belongings, had been en route to their home in San Diego, Cailf.

The driver of the moving truck began a search around this small town after Snowballs ran from Davy Crockett Truck Stop to the Shell Truck Stop.

Snowballs' owner made a desperate call to the Greeneville-Greene County Humane Society.

“Our six-year-old son Ari is distraught,” the woman said. “Snowballs is his cat. Please help find Snowballs.”

Humane Society volunteers helped in a physical search, distributed fliers in the northern Greene County area, made Facebook posts and took out a “lost cat” ad in The Greeneville Sun.

After a week of searching, the Humane Society got a call. Snowballs was in Duluth, Ga., 250 miles south of Baileyton.

Duane and Becca Rackley had been returning to their Duluth apartment when the kitty stranger rubbed past their legs.

The Rackleys fed the friendly cat. Did they have a new family member? They hoped so, but they knew that somebody was probably missing Snowballs.

They took the cat to a vet's office for a checkup. The vet found a surgically-implanted microchip on Snowballs and soon learned the identity and address of his owner from the chip manufacturer.

The Rackleys then made plans to care for Snowballs, until kitty could finish his cross-country journey.

“Our guess is that Snowballs had either hitched a ride" using his kitty charms, or he simply sneaked a ride to Georgia, said a spokesman of the Greeneville-Greene County Humane Society.

“Snowballs' story has a happy ending. A safely implanted microchip has once again reunited a pet with his owner.”

 For information on “microchipping” pets, call the Greeneville-Greene County Humane Society Clinic at 423-639-7949.
 
“The total cost to microchip a pet is just $20, for peace of mind,” said Amy Bowman, manager of the facility.