ORION TWP., Mich. (WXYZ) — Since the explosion on November 19th, Drake Falconer has spent most of his days searching the surrounding area for his cats, still missing, Fergus and Ambrose.
VIDEO: Bodycam video shows new look at Orion Township explosion
“It’s kind of, I guess, a survival tactic just to keep from sitting here and dreading everything every time we come around," Falconer said. “That’s my wife and I's first pets together. They’re family. They’re not just animals that you toss by the wayside. These are part of our lives, and it’s a big hole in our heart that’s missing when we don’t see them every day.”
Chloe Bennett also lost her home in the explosion, and, like Falconer, she is most focused on finding her black cat, Salem. She says firefighters told her he jumped out of the rubble.
“Something you don’t think about it is, like, it’s even hard to just get dressed in the morning because you don’t know what you have," Bennett said. “I’m staying hopeful through everything, but it’s like one letdown after the other.”
Local animal shelter Heavenly Paws of Michigan is giving out some tips on how to recapture these pets that are likely traumatized.
“The smell of the owners on their clothing and just locate it in different spots. Using trail cams. Those can be monitored, so as soon as they get in the trap, they can go out and get them right away, so they’re no exposed to the temperatures," Teresa Kerrigan said.
If you remember, a cat was found one day after the explosion. We got the reunion between Ross Flore and his cat Snicker on camera.
It turns out Snicker was not okay. Flore said she suffered severe neurological damage in the blast and had to be put down.
“At least she died in my arms and not in the condo," Flore said. “I’m not one that I let loose with my emotions. I usually pretty much hold it in check but that was my little girl.”
Flore said it is going to take at least a year for his home to be rebuilt, but after living there for 41 years, it will never be the same.
He and the rest of the people we spoke with plan on attending a meeting Thursday night held by the condo association and contractors for more information on when they can rebuild their lives.
VIDEO: Mel Mousseau speaks after Orion Township condo explosion
"We have everything that we need, but there’s still that hole there from our pets that are missing, so if we could just get them back, that would make things a lot easier to bear," Falconer said.
The Oakland County Fire Investigations Unit said it is still investigating the cause of the explosion.
To help keep an eye out for these missing pets, you can join the Facebook group "Keatington Cat Search."
If you are interested in helping Ross Flores rebuild his life, click here.
If you are interested in helping Chloe Bennett rebuild her life, click here.
