FRANKLIN, Ind. -- A Johnson County family is thanking a pet detective for finding their missing cat.
On January 16, around 3:30 p.m., 7-month-old Marmalade ran off. Her owners thought she would come back, but she didn't.
Day turned to night, and worry grew.
Five days went by and hope was slipping when a Google searched pulled up pet detective Jim Berns.
He's had 377 cases and boasts close to a 70 percent success rate.
"Jim Berns, pet detective that's kind of crazy, but when we go out there and work with these folks we really come out in a very professional manner," Berns said.
Jim lives in Cincinnati and covers missing pet cases in three states.
When he and his three dog team arrived in Franklin, they got right to work.
"We start with Sam first. We give her a scent from a scent article," he said.
In this case, it was Marmalade's favorite scarf.
The dogs tracked the scent to a dark underside of a neighbor's porch two blocks away.
Jim told the couple to set a trap. Two days later, after 16 days missing, Marmalade was caught.
If you're wondering how much a pet detective costs, it depends in large part on how far they travel.
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