An East Hamilton resident says she’s devastated by the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of her beloved cat, allegedly taken by a pizza delivery driver and released almost 10 kilometres away from her Rosedale address.
“He was on the porch … like we have it on video,” Rebecca Belforte told Global News.
“He delivered the pizza, and then went out of his way to put the pizza bag back in the car and then come up and scoop our cat.”
Belforte says the search for her feline, Dwight, started hours after the pizza delivery driver dropped off their supper around 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday.
“So at some point, the little guy slipped through our feet when we were either fixing a lock or getting the pizza,” said Belforte.
Belforte and her husband, Carlo, knew something was wrong while eating their food and noticing an eager Dwight was nowhere to be seen.
“If we’re eating pizza, he’s right there because he wants some. So, we noticed he wasn’t around,” said Belforte.
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The couple tried everything to try to lure Dwight – including shaking a bag of cat treats – but failed and abandoned the search with little suspicion until morning.
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“We checked outside in the morning to see if maybe he had just been, like, fooling around chasing some squirrels or something silly,” Belforte said.
The pair would eventually think to check recordings on their home security surveillance and were stunned when they observed video of their pizza delivery guy chasing Dwight around their porch.
“He had our cat in his hands and he was going to his car with our cat,” Belforte recalled.
“He has to actually reposition the cat and hold him far away from his body because of cat fighting, trying to get away.”
She says the restaurant the driver was working for has been co-operative with the family since being notified of the occurrence, even going as far as connecting the couple with him.
The driver reportedly told the Belfortes Dwight was released in the area of Gordon Drummond Avenue and Kennard Street, about a 12-minute drive from the family’s home.
“He showed my husband a picture of our cat in his back seat,” she said.
“He showed my husband … a text message that he sent to a roommate, saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got a cat.’
The search has reached social media channels in the city as well as Hamilton police, who now have filed a report on the matter and suggested the couple discontinue any further contact with the driver.
Dwight has been a part of the Belfortes’ household for over 12 years, having adopted him when he just showed up one day at their home.
The feline is described as solid grey with dark stripes on his tail and a little white spot on his nose, and his front feet have been declawed.
“He is the most friendly cat in the world. He’s so sweet,” said Belforte.
“He’s happy to meow and rub up against you.”
Anyone with information can reach out to Rebecca Belforte directly at 905-730-4159.
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