STEPHENVILLE — Gwen Samms and Trooper the cat will be riding in style from their home in Stephenville to meet with Trooper, the rock band, in Pasadena on Thursday. Trooper is the guest band for a concert being held in Pasadena as part of celebrations of that town's Come Home Year and Trooper the cat will arrive in his own limo, compliments of Luxury Limos of Corner Brook.
Trooper and Samms are expected to arrive about 7 p.m. on Thursday, then at 7:30 p.m. to meet the band members at the N.W. Bennett Sports Field.
"I'm excited about this, but a little nervous about meeting celebrities like the members of the Trooper band," Samms said.
While she has rode in a limo before, she's still looking forward to this ride because of what it all means for Trooper, who has become a bit of a celebrity himself.
Samms, who is president of the Society for the Care and Protection of Animals in Stephenville, along with some helpers rescued Trooper on Feb. 11, 2012 after he was found frozen into ice in a driveway in Stephenville Crossing.
His story went global and he now has more than 4,000 fans on Facebook. He continues to be a mascot of sorts for many animal shelters all over the world and he has helped unite all the shelters on our west coast since his rescue too.
Linda Sheppard of Deer Lake said she asked Trooper the rock band back in March month to dedicate a song to Trooper the cat while they are on tour.
The response from the band was they would like to send Trooper a care package, which they did, with a special one of a kind kitty T-shirt with "Raise a little Hell" on the back, CD's and T-shirts for fundraising events too.
Today Trooper is a very happy three-legged kitty in the loving home of one of his rescuers.
Sheppard has followed Trooper the cat's story since day one and has become a good friend of rescuer Gwen Samms.
She is a huge supporter of all the shelters on the west coast of the province and just completed a two-day fundraiser event for the Society for the Care and Protection of Animals in Stephenville, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Scaredy Cat Rescue in Corner Brook at her store, Foodland, in Deer Lake.
Sheppard is excited about the Troopers (the band and the cat) getting together and hopes that it will garner even more support for the plight of animals that are not being treated in a humane way.
Trooper has recovered well from the loss of a hind leg and tail due to frostbite in that driveway back in February.
Well said Debbie ((((Gwen Samms)))) is one in a million and so is Trooper the cat!!!! Bless his heart LOVE is amazing