Homeless man offers reward for missing cat

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summer_breeze

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http://fwix.com/sfbay/share/ad23414951/homeless_man_offers_reward_for_missing_cat

Homeless man offers reward for missing cat
Carl Nolte, Chronicle Staff Writer

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Daniel Harlan, a slight man with a wispy beard going gray, is just another face in the crowd in San Francisco. He is homeless, a street panhandler. Most people wouldn't give him a second glance except for his constant companion, a pug-nosed Himalayan cat named Samantha.

The cat made him stand out among panhandlers. Now the cat is gone. Stolen, Harlan thinks.
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Didn't quite know where to post this story, but aaawwwww.....
 
I was reading the comments after the story and people have posted that he now has his cat back, someone dropped it off at a police station.

VB
 
I work in the City and walk by this man every day. I read the article about Samantha being taken yesterday morning and when I was walking to the ferry yesterday at noon he was in his usual spot but was holding Samantha. Apparently he had just got her back 30 minutes before so I chatted with him for a minute and then had to head off to catch my ferry home. All I can tell you is that he was so incredibly happy and I couldn't stop smiling for him. He's such a nice man and I like to give him granola bars, water, etc. when I walk by as I tend not not give homeless money since I don't know if they'll use it on drugs/alcohol...but apparently Harlan doesn't drink so I'll try to help out every once in a while. Samantha always seems to have an abundance of cat food around her and most definitely looks far from hungry. They're a very cute pair and I'm so glad he got her back. And Mr. Neville is a saint in my opinion.
 
I'm happy for the homeless man, but not so much for the cat. According to the article, the cat was soaking wet, covered with fleas and sores, tied all alone to a leash near dogs when he was found by Neville. IMO, Samantha is sacrificing having a comfortable, healthy, long life in order to make Mr. Harlan happy.
 
That's the funny thing Steadfast, I see that cat every day and I've never, ever seen it in poor condition. I can see the cat having fleas perhaps and on the day Mr. Neville rescued the cat is was raining cats and dogs (no pun intended) so maybe Samantha looked disheveled. I can honestly say that the cat is very loved but of course does not have a good "home environment."
 
Lucy's mom said:
That's the funny thing Steadfast, I see that cat every day and I've never, ever seen it in poor condition. I can see the cat having fleas perhaps and on the day Mr. Neville rescued the cat is was raining cats and dogs (no pun intended) so maybe Samantha looked disheveled. I can honestly say that the cat is very loved but of course does not have a good "home environment."
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Now that so many people are aware of her, maybe Samantha will get some extra food and an occasional flea bath from kind residents.
 
well, he may love her but at what cost to her? has she ever been to a vet? maybe some local vet will offer a free checkup and some shots ... she could have any number of diseases
 
Cats fend for themselves in the wild all of the time...unkempt as Samantha may be to some folks at least she has a human that loves her and cares for her.
 
It saddens me that people seem to be more worried about a permanent home for Samantha and not so much for her owner. If only we could get him in a place they'd both have a place to call home.

I'm not coming down on anyone. I just don't see more value in Samantha's life. I wish they both could have a warm place to call home.
 
Disguiseduser0308 said:
It saddens me that people seem to be more worried about a permanent home for Samantha and not so much for her owner. If only we could get him in a place they'd both have a place to call home.

I'm not coming down on anyone. I just don't see more value in Samantha's life. I wish they both could have a warm place to call home.
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Well, the owner, as an adult male, is expected to be able to come up with living arrangements for himself.
Cat, on the other hand, can not do so.
 
jjenny said:
Well, the owner, as an adult male, is expected to be able to come up with living arrangements for himself.
Cat, on the other hand, can not do so.
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The homelessman is bound by whatever society feels is acceptable for a man and what they believe a man should be .The cat is the one who has it easy.
 
Soulmagent said:
The homelessman is bound by whatever society feels is acceptable for a man and what they believe a man should be .The cat is the one who has it easy.
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I presume by that you mean that no one expects for a cat to go out, get a job and rent an apartment?
 
jjenny said:
I presume by that you mean that no one expects for a cat to go out, get a job and rent an apartment?
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No one expects the cat should have a job or an apartment. Society says the man SHOULD have a job and an apartment.
 
Good story.

"The moral test of government is how it treats those who
are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight
of life, the aged; and those in the shadows of life, the sick, the
needy and the handicapped." Hubert Humphrey, 1977.

If we can feel so strongly that the life of the cat should be improved, we should question why it is difficult to feel the same for a man.
 
Apostapler said:
Good story.

"The moral test of government is how it treats those who
are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight
of life, the aged; and those in the shadows of life, the sick, the
needy and the handicapped." Hubert Humphrey, 1977.

If we can feel so strongly that the life of the cat should be improved, we should question why it is difficult to feel the same for a man.
Click to expand...

I get the impression from the article that Harlan doesn't want a home to be provided for him. He had one with his brother, but he decided he wanted to move to CA, where he had nowhere to live. He could easily have a decent apartment in Oklahoma, where he's from, with the over-$900 he gets from SS every month. And he seems to have a caring family who are willing to give him help if he would accept it. IMO, unless he gets some help from a psychiatrist, nothing anyone can do is going to change his living arrangements for the long-term.
As far as Samantha goes, I've already posted that I think she's sacrificing a comfortable life for his benefit. What I didn't add is that I don't think that's a bad thing. I just hope she can be given some little improvements in her life like healthy food and vet care that her owner is not able to provide.
 
jeesh the simplest, cutest article on this site can always turn into a dogfight over nothing at a blink of an eye.
 
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