Stuffed Tiger that Caused Scare in Grand Rapids Backyard is Headed to Little Girl in Florida

The story of the Grand Rapids' stuffed tiger has a happy ending!

On May 28, Kent County Animal Control got a bizarre call. Someone had spotted a tiger in backyard of a home on Grand Rapids' Southwest side!

Once Kent County Animal shelter officers arrived, they quickly realized: it was a toy.

They had some fun "apprehending" the realistic-looking stuffed animal and posing for photos, which were posted to Kent County Animal Shelter's Facebook page.

The story was shared and made national news, which is how it's come to be that the tiger is now on it's way to Florida, to provide comfort to a 6-year-old little girl.

According to Wood-TV 8, Florida mom Samantha Adkins saw the story pop up on Facebook. When she saw the stuffed animal, it was an emotional moment.

She sent an email to Kent County Animal Shelter, saying,

“My husband passed away last year, and he had a stuffed tiger that looked identical to that, sitting in the same position. My then 5 year old daughter, Faith, decided she wanted to keep (something) of her daddy’s. Well, I bought a used couch after relocating and the couch was infested with bed bugs. We had to get everything professionally treated, and sadly, the tiger didn’t make it through the bed bug treatments. I have promised my daughter that I will find another one, but have not been successful in doing so. I would find a way to pay whatever the asking price is for it to give my little girl a piece of her daddy back.”

Tuesday, the shelter skyped with Adkins and her daughter to surprise them with the news that they’d be sending the stuffed animal to Florida at no cost.

A happy ending to the Tiger story!The Kent County Animal Shelter received a bizarre call for help on May 28, 2015. The caller saw a tiger laying in the driveway of a home in the city of Grand Rapids. Animal Control Officer’s (ACO) Supervisor Joe Dainelis and ACO Rachel Jensen responded to the report. Upon their arrival, they noted that the tiger appeared real from what they could see from the street. On closer inspection, they discovered that it was a life-sized stuffed animal. ACO’s Dainelis and Jensen got a good laugh from it, and decided to pose for a couple of quick pictures. The posting on the IC Pawz at the Kent County Animal Shelter Facebook page was shared and eventually viewed by tens of thousands, and the story ended up in local media. Associated Press sent the story to newsrooms nationwide, and ABC World News Tonight with David Muir ran the story as well. Even with all of the media attention, no one came forward to claim the Tiger. Last week, Samantha Atkins of Florida saw the story on Facebook, when her daughter noticed the Tiger. She contacted the Kent County Animal Shelter. Her message read, in part: “My husband passed away last year, and he had a stuffed tiger that looked identical to that, sitting in the same position. My then 5 year old daughter, Faith, decided she wanted to keep (something) of her daddy's. Well, I bought a used couch after relocating and the tiger didn't make it through the move. I have promised my daughter that I will find another one, but have not been successful in doing so. I would find a way to pay whatever the asking price is for it to give my little girl a piece of her daddy back.” “I read the email and my heart sank,” said Joe Dainelis. “I have a young daughter and can’t imagine how hard it was on Faith to lose her Daddy. I knew we needed to get that Tiger to Florida.” Joe washed the Tiger, then contacted the Animal Emergency Hospital, where doctors sutured a few rough spots and even made a heart-shaped pillow (see attached photos). “We are thankful that AEH did a fantastic job getting the Tiger ready for this big trip!” Dainelis added.
Posted by IC Pawz at the Kent County Animal Shelter on Tuesday, June 9, 2015

First though, the famous stuffed tiger (who according to the video is named Jim) had to undergo some minor "surgery" for repairs.

Kent County shared on Facebook that "Jim" is doing just fine and is now ready for adoption! He'll be headed to his new home in Florida soon.

Thank you to Animal Emergency Hospital for getting our famous Stuffed Tiger ready for adoption!!!
Posted by IC Pawz at the Kent County Animal Shelter on Tuesday, June 9, 2015