A now happy family has reunited with a member of their family weeks after a Florida condo building collapsed to the ground. The unlikely survivor is Binx the cat.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniela Levin Cava revealed that Binx, who lives on the ninth floor of the Surfside building, has been reunited with her family amid the devastation.
“I am delighted that this small miracle can bring some light to the lives of a bereaved family today and provide a bright spot for our entire community amid this horrific tragedy,” said Levin Cava.
A volunteer who was feeding cats near the site of the collapse found that the black cat was roaming the area before bringing it to the Miami Beach rescue center.
The cat was found near the rubble Thursday, said Gina Nicole Vlasek, co-founder of Kitty Campus Rescue Center posted on Facebook. A former Florida condo resident visited the Kitty campus on Friday and confirmed that the furry survivor was his, Vlasek said.
“We needed a ray of hope in this tragedy,” the post said. “Today was one of the most amazing days.”
The wandering cat belongs to the Gonzalez family, WSVN-TV reported. Angela Gonzalez and her 16-year-old daughter, Deven Among those rescued from the rubble in search of survivors.
Both mother and daughter were seriously injured when they fell on the fifth floor from the ninth floor of the building. According to their verified GoFundMe page. Despite being injured, Angela pulled her daughter out of the rubble. There is no account of Edgar Gonzalez, Angela’s husband, and Deven’s father.
“Pets are family, and that’s a miracle,” Maria Gaspari, a friend of Feline’s family, told WSVN.
“I’m trembling right now,” she said. “In the midst of this sadness, we were hoping for good news for anyone living or any pet.”
The Friends of Miami Animals Foundation set up a hotline for survivors to report missing pets or seek medical assistance and boarding for their animals. Parrots, cats, a guinea pig, and a dog are among those officially reported missing as survivors look for signs of their pets.
Levin Cava said animal control workers are setting up live traps in the area to help find pets that may have survived the fall.
Meanwhile, 86 dead bodies have been recovered 62 have been identified while 43 people are still unaccounted for.