A judge has returned a 38-pound feline to a New Jersey woman after DNA testing couldn't conclusively say whether it was a purebred bobcat.
Municipal Court Judge Damian Murray ruled Friday that Ginny Fine can regain custody of 38-pound Rocky. A DNA test found that the cat's mother was 98 percent bobcat, but couldn't determine its father's lineage.
"I'm thrilled beyond words, I'm thrilled," Fine told NBC10.com on Friday.
Fine would not have been able to get the cat back without a permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection if it was a purebred bobcat.
Rocky has been held since April 7 at Popcorn Park Zoo in Lacey after it went missing for 12 days from Fine's home.
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Fine pleaded guilty to letting the animal get loose and was fined $1,000.
Neighbor Nora DeRosa didn't agree with the decision.
"Not satisfactory at all," she said. "I know the girl think its her pet and everything but I fear for people walking and the children in the neighborhood."
The cat will be returned to Fine as long as a new enclosure passes inspection by Stafford Township officials. That inspection is set for Monday.
