Nashville International Airport was the scene of a welcome like no other on November 5.

With excited anticipation, Carla Muehlhauser and her husband Chris, along with the Irwin family – Ken, Sherri, Sarah and Bonnie – awaited the arrival of their unseen new friend. A homemade welcome sign gave the visual cue needed for identification.

Minutes later, a smiling face descended the escalator holding a furry friend who fueled this festive occasion.

The sign told the tale: “Hola Peaches! Welcome to Gigi’s Rescue.”

Cami LaTourette had brought a feline — a female short-haired tabby cat named Peaches — on her flight from Honduras to Nashville. Peaches would now have a forever home in Tennessee thanks to a partnership between locally based non-profit Gigi’s Rescue, of which both the Muehlhausers and Irwins are involved, and Angel Flights of Roatan, Honduras.

Angel Flights sends cats to locations across the U.S. through people traveling to the states from Honduras. The organization is headed by Angie Carlisle, who’s made it her mission to “save the cats of Roatan, one flight at a time.”

“The cat population problem in Honduras is even worse than it is here,” says Carla, who with Chris has volunteered as a Gigi’s cat foster since 2021 from their home in White House. “Cats have a better chance of finding good forever homes in the U.S. We were contacted by Angie at Angel Flights because she had a cat coming on a last-minute flight to Nashville and asked if we could take it. We said, “Sure!” It was an exciting opportunity for us.

“It’s just charity helping charity, a rescue helping a fellow rescue to take in one or two cats from Honduras each year. Our main mission is still pounding the pavement here at home and helping these animals get adopted.”

Since arriving, Peaches has been in the care of the Muehlhausers. The now 19-week-old cat has had some expected medical hurdles to clear but is making steady progress.

“Orange tabbies are typically male, so for her to be a female is extra special,” notes Carla. “She’s super sweet, very talkative, never meets a stranger, and now that she’s starting to feel a little better, she’s really starting to get more playful, too. We hope to find an adopter for Peaches soon, but she’s not quite ready to go yet.”

Carla adds that another unique feature of Peaches is her raspy “meow.”

“I think that’s kind of neat,” she says. “I call her my little Honduran Princess.”

Peaches’ story is just one example of the tireless efforts Gigi’s Rescue undertakes to match animals with loving, responsible and permanent homes. As a non-profit, they treasure the low-cost assistance they receive from other organizations, such as Sumner Spay and Neuter Alliance (SSNA) in Gallatin. Gigi’s works with SSNA to fully vet dogs and cats, including spay/neutering, prior to adoption.

“Without Sumner Spay Neuter Alliance, there’s no way we could do what we do,” stresses Chris. “They do amazing work there.”

While the Muehlhausers admit activity has been non-stop since they signed on with Gigi’s Rescue as they juggle their work for the organization with their respective full-time jobs – Carla is a nurse at Nashville General Hospital and Chris serves as a deputy with the Davidson County Sheriff's Department – both quickly add that the extra time is worth every minute.

“It’s truly a labor of love,” says Chris. “Our pay is in getting a cat with an adopter and knowing that cat is going to live a great life.”

In the case of Peaches, that dream will soon come true.

To learn more about Gigi’s Rescue, visit their Facebook page or website, gigisanimalrescue.org. To view the animals available for adoption and apply as an adoptee, visit their PetFinder site, www.petfinder.com/member/us/tn/goodlettsville/gigis-rescue-tn634.