An Auburn family is celebrating after a King County animal control officer found their lost cat Thursday that had been missing for three years.

Sherrie Fox and her family lost their cat, Oscar, about three years ago when he ran away from their Auburn home, according to a King County Regional Animal Services media release.

For months, Fox visited the King County Pet Adoption Center in Kent almost daily looking for her feline friend, with no luck.

That all changed when King County Animal Services officer Pam McLaren discovered Oscar running loose Thursday in SeaTac. McLaren scanned him to see if he had a microchip. He did, and McLaren was able to obtain the owner’s contact information.

McLaren was surprised to discover that the cat was one that had been reported missing back in 2008.

“I was absolutely astonished to find Oscar,” said McLaren. “We knew Sherrie well because she came into the Pet Adoption Center dozens of times looking for her cat. We even called her when we found similar cats in the past, but none of them were Oscar. When we called Sherrie to tell her that we found Oscar, she was so excited that she and her husband rushed down to the King County Pet Adoption Center in record time. Seeing the joy on their faces when they saw him again made me proud to work for Regional Animal Services.”

The news surprised Fox as well.

“When we got the call from Officer McLaren, I almost couldn’t believe it,” Sherrie Fox said. “I looked at a picture of Oscar that we’ve kept on our mantle and just cried. I can’t thank the staff of Regional Animal Services enough for bringing Oscar home.”

On average only 2 percent of lost cats are reunited with their owners, said Glynis Frederiksen, operations manager for Regional Animal Services of King County.

“We’re glad that this story has a happy ending,” Frederiksen said. “It’s also a great example of why we encourage owners to license and microchip their pets, and why we license and microchip every pet adopted from our center.”

Other success stories like Oscar’s could be coming in the near future, Frederiksen added. “We’re very excited about our new ‘Project Reunite: Help and Hope for Lost Pets’ program,” she said. “Volunteers are being trained now to help reconnect lost pets with their families, and we can always use more eyes and ears on the street to help find wayward pets like Oscar.”

To volunteer for Regional Animal Services of King County, contact volunteer manager Sarah Luthens at sarah.luthens@kingcounty.gov or 206-296-3946.