Francine the Cat, Who Lived at Virginia Lowe’s for 8 Years, Goes Missing

Francine the cat typically spends her days brightening shopping trips for Lowe’s customers in Richmond, Va. However, the local feline celebrity has gone missing — and volunteers have launched their own rescue mission to find her.

The white calico cat, with black and brown patches of fur by her ears, called the home improvement store chain’s Richmond location on 1640 West Broad Street her home for eight years, per ABC affiliate 8 News.

She has not been seen since Sept. 17. Store employees believe Francine is now in North Carolina after Francine allegedly wandered onto a semi-truck. The vehicle’s destination was a distribution center in Garysburg, N.C.

On Monday, Sept. 29, eight volunteers, who dubbed themselves Task Force Francine, traveled to Garysburg.

The Richmond Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) joined in the rescue effort, and volunteers searched the woods near the store and hung fliers in the area in the hopes of bringing their furry friend back home.

“Everyone knows who she is,” volunteer Aeron Spencer told ABC 8 News. “Everyone loves her.”  

“What the heck, Francine? Why did you get on that truck?” Elise Gilmore told 12 On Your Side.

Gilmore is one of the people behind the “Where’s Francine” Instagram page, dedicated to finding the cat. It now has over 15,000 followers since the first post was published on Sept. 27. Other posts show Francine taking naps on top of boxes, lounging among the plants in the garden center and snuggling beneath outdoor furniture for sale at the Lowe’s location.

“We had a whistleblower on Reddit who works at the Lowe’s give us more information, saying that they checked the cameras and they actually saw her get on to the distribution truck,” Gilmore said.

Task Force Francine believes she arrived at the North Carolina distribution center on Sept. 18 and ran into the facility after the truck opened up to unload its contents two days later.

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Workers and a manager reportedly told Gilmore they saw a cat escape, but couldn’t confirm that it was Francine. The Richmond SPCA also sent two volunteers to help search for the cat.

“They tend to hide under shrubbery,” Richmond SPCA CEO Tamsen Kingry told 12 On Your Side. “Often times they could be hiding under vehicles, and there’s a lot of vehicles at that site. Obviously, it’s a distribution center.”

“We are pet lovers at Lowe’s, and Francine holds a special place in our hearts,” Lowe’s said in a statement to 12 On Your Side. “She is a local celebrity and dearly loved by everyone in the community, from our customers to our store associates. We are grateful for the outpouring of support from people who love her as much as we do. We brought in experts from a local animal shelter to help us find her and bring her home safely. The store team had Francine microchipped to help in case of a situation like this. We thank everyone for keeping an eye out. If anyone sees her, we urge them to contact the store.”

PEOPLE has reached out to Lowe’s and the RSPCA for comment.