GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The stuffed tiger that prompted a call to Kent County Animal Control almost two weeks ago is heading to Florida.
The tiger was found in a driveway of a Grand Rapids home and a caller thought it was real and called Animal Control. When responding officers realized it was a stuffed animal, they had some fun with it, posing for pictures. The story was picked up by television and newspaper outlets and the story went viral to other outlets around the country.
Samantha Atkins saw the story from Florida. She wrote to the Kent County Animal Shelter and told how her husband had a similar stuffed tiger when he died a year ago. She and her five-year-old daughter later bought a couch that happened to be infested with bed bugs and their stuffed tiger became infested as well and had to be thrown away. She said that she had promised a new one to her daughter but hadn't been able to find one.
Tuesday afternoon, Kent County officials surprised Samantha and Faith Atkins via Skype that the tiger would be theirs. Faith has named the tiger "Jim" after her late father.
The tiger has been washed and repaired and even got an extra heart-shaped pillow.
