LA GUAIRA, Venezuela — Francis García’s 4-year-old cat named Félix survived about 37 days under the rubble of the 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes in Venezuela.
Félix had vanished on June 24 at the Bloque 3 of the José Antonio Páez community of Catia La Mar, a port city in Venezuela’s state of La Guaira.
“I lost my father, the love of my life. I will never forget him,” García said in Spanish. “And, well, I lost my other cat Luca.”
On July 31, Félix’s rescuers were firefighters from Maturín, a city in Venezuela’s state of Monagas, who usually work for Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A, or PDVSA, the state’s oil company.
A temporary veterinary care center running out of a former McDonald’s restaurant in the nearby town of Caraballeda admitted Félix and diagnosed severe dehydration, nutrient deficiency, and bodily injuries.
Dozens of doctors have volunteered to keep medical care going at the former McDonald’s restaurant. Sebastián Ures and other vets volunteer where the ice cream station used to be.
A video of García’s emotional reunion with Félix at the center, which runs on private donations, went viral.
“My cat means everything to me,” García said in Spanish.
Related social media
Félix fue rescatado de los escombros en Catia La Mar (Vargas) con extrema desnutrición y lesiones. Fue trasladado de emergencia al McDonald’s de Caraballeda, donde lo atendieron los Dres. Sebastián Ures y Ludeimar Rosendo. ¡Su dueña llegó a tiempo para abrazarlo!
— Seir Contreras (@SeirContreras) August 1, 2026
31 Jul 2026. pic.twitter.com/k3ntsPT2q9
Torres contributed to this report from Miami.
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
