Three Arizona Organizations Join Forces To Save A Poor Animal Trapped In An Underground Pipe
Every day, countless cat rescues take place around the world, but one in Safford, Arizona, stood out for its scale.
The situation was so large that it required the combined efforts of more than one organization to see it through successfully.
The Desert Cat Rescue & Sanctuary of Arizona, Safford Fire Department, and 3G Plumbing all joined forces to rescue a 10-week-old kitten trapped in an underground pipe.
The rescue effort started when two college students heard the sound of a kitten crying nearby.
Since they had once adopted a cat from Desert Cat Rescue, they immediately knew who to reach out to for help.
Credit: Desert Cat Rescue
Upon receiving the distress call, the rescue team immediately arrived at the specific location.
However, rescuing the kitten wasn’t quite easy. Cheryl Christensen, the founder and director of Desert Cat Rescue, said:
“We all absolutely agreed there was a kitty in that wall. We just couldn’t locate it.”
Because pinpointing the kitten’s location proved difficult, the rescue team asked the Safford Fire Department to step in.
After some searching, the team discovered that the cries were echoing from deep inside the drainage pipes.
Credit: Desert Cat Rescue
They soon discovered that the empty house next door had an exposed pipe in the backyard, likely where the kitten had slipped in.
Realizing they couldn’t manage the rescue alone, the team called in 3G Plumbing, who arrived right away.
Using a camera, they located the kitten about five feet below ground, alarmingly close to the main sewage line.
Each flush from surrounding homes sent water splashing over the poor kitten, making the situation even more urgent.
Credit: Desert Cat Rescue
Knowing there was no time to lose, the team quickly devised a plan to save the kitten. 3G Plumbing used a motorized plumbing snake to block the path leading to the hazardous sewage line, ensuring the kitten couldn’t be swept away.
Meanwhile, the firefighters removed a toilet and carefully guided the little one with a camera snake, slowly directing her toward a safe way out.
Credit: Desert Cat Rescue
The teams even tried playing recordings of a mother cat’s meows in hopes of luring the kitten out. At last, after several long hours, the little one was safely rescued.
They decided to call him Echo, a fitting name inspired by the cries that had echoed through the pipes.
Although Echo needed a safe place and proper care, the rescue team couldn’t take him in that late at night.
Thankfully, Chris, a kindhearted member of 3G Plumbing, offered to bring him home, while Cheryl made sure he had everything he needed to be comfortable and cared for.
Credit: Desert Cat Rescue
The following morning, Chris took Echo to the emergency vet. Remarkably, despite everything he had endured, the kitten was in good health, though he was prescribed a round of antibiotics.
Then came the most touching twist. What started as a short-term arrangement soon blossomed into something lasting.
Chris had grown attached to the resilient little kitten and chose to adopt him for good, giving him a new name – Gremlin.
Credit: Desert Cat Rescue
Let this touching rescue story remind us never to turn away from a kitten in distress.
Reaching out for help can make all the difference – and who knows, it might even lead you to your next beloved feline friend, just as it did for Chris.
