LAKE CITY, Fla. (Oct. 15, 2026) — Community cats Onyx and Sunshine were found dead beside their food bowls at a Lake City Home Depot store in mid-September. Other cats from their colony subsequently disappeared after a contractor began trapping cats at the property. Despite receiving thousands of emails from In Defense of Animals supporters demanding answers, the retail giant has not revealed where the remaining cats are, or what happened to them. Local rescue organization The Ranch Rescue has now announced a press conference for Friday, Oct. 16, following a significant new tip about the missing cats.

WHO: The Ranch Rescue, community cat advocates, concerned residents, and animal protection supporters.

WHAT: Press conference on the missing Home Depot cats and new developments in the case.

WHEN: Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at 2 p.m. EDT.

WHERE: Olustee Park, in front of the Columbia County Courthouse, 169 N. Marion Ave., Lake City, Florida.

WHY: The Ranch Rescue says it has received a significant tip and is investigating new information about the missing cats. The group is preparing to share its findings publicly and plans to close its GoFundMe reward fundraiser.

“They had no voice to cry for justice, so we became their voice. And we will not be silenced,” said The Ranch Rescue founder Laura Rister.

For approximately six years, eight cats lived at Home Depot Store #6864, fed and monitored by a longtime caregiver with the permission of store management. All had been sterilized and vaccinated through a trap-neuter-return program.

In mid-September, the caregiver discovered Onyx and Sunshine dead near their food bowls. The store manager told her she was barred from the property and would be trespassing if she returned, and an outside company began trapping and removing cats, according to The Ranch Rescue and News4JAX.

Four cats — Tortie, Jr., Bentley, and Nikko — remain unaccounted for, according to In Defense of Animals.

The Home Depot has said it uses third-party contractors to humanely capture and relocate animals, but has not publicly identified where the missing cats were taken or provided documentation about their fate. The Home Depot did not respond to a request for comment from News4JAX in September. The Ranch Rescue has secured legal representation for the caregiver and continues seeking answers.

“Two cats are dead, others have disappeared, and The Home Depot still hasn’t explained what happened to them. These were living, feeling individuals who were loved and cared for over many years, not disposable objects. Lowe’s went to extraordinary lengths to find one missing store cat, engaging staff and the community to mobilize drones, cameras, and professional trackers to bring her home. Surely The Home Depot can at least account for the cats removed from its property. We’re demanding answers for every cat, and a companywide policy to ensure this never happens again,” said In Defense of Animals Communications Director Fleur Dawes.

In Defense of Animals and The Ranch Rescue are calling on The Home Depot to provide a complete, cat-by-cat accounting, including trapping, transportation and veterinary records, and to adopt a humane companywide policy protecting established community cat colonies.

Members of the public can take action now by contacting The Home Depot, posting with #WhereAreTheHomeDepotCats and writing to the company’s leadership.

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Contacts:

Fleur Dawes, In Defense of Animals, (415) 879-6879, media@idausa.org
Laura Rister, founder, The Ranch Rescue, (561) 836-4111, theranchrescue@gmail.com

All photos (free to use with credit): Download

More information:

In Defense of Animals action alert: Home Depot: Where Are the Missing Community Cats?
News4JAX, Sept. 24, 2026: ‘Where are the cats?’ Lake City rescue group demands answers after Home Depot colony disappears
WCJB, Oct. 15, 2026: Lake City non-profit to give update on disappearance of several cats outside Home Depot

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization with over 250,000 supporters that has defended animals, the environment and their guardians since 1983 through education, campaigns and hands-on rescue facilities in India, South Korea, central California and rural Mississippi. www.idausa.org/cats

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