Cat Trapped On The Edge Of A Dam Becomes Colleagues With Firefighters Who Saved Him After A Tasking Rescue

February 4, 2019

By Mambee

According to ASPCA statistics, about 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. The total amount in each state may vary as that is a national evaluation.

Out of these 6.5 million companion animals, approximately 3.3 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats.

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A figure of 710,000 (about 620,000 dogs and 90,000 cats) lucky stray animals in the shelters are reconciled with their family.

Cats aren't usually as favored as dogs so it's heart-melting to see when a helping hand is extended to them, which makes what these firefighters from Indiana did for a terrified cat no small feat.

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Rescuers save a cat in distress

On the 16th of January, The Huntington County Sheriff’s Department in Indiana got a distress call from someone at the spillway off of State Road 5.

The person had been fishing when he observed a trapped cat who looked frightened due to the height of the dam he was cornered in.

The Army Corp of engineers arrived on the scene as fast as they could to rescue the cat.

Although the firefighters knew that getting the cat into safety wouldn't be a breeze, they went ahead to brainstorm a plan to save the poor cat.

Ryan Martin and Jared Perrott came up with a great idea to use a boat to transport themselves to a position below the giant dam the cat was on.

After struggling with shutting off the water for about an hour, it didn't take much for the Corp members to cajole the cat to get down.

As soon as the cat sighted where they situated their boat, he skidded down and the rescuers made sure to catch him so he didn't fall into the water.

After the completion of the rescue, the Corp members took him to the Sheriff's department, where he became the honorary office cat for the day. The department officers delighted in his presence and shared pictures on their Facebook page.

The department did an even more incredible job by reconciling the cat, Mr. Vanjie, with his owner, Heidi Greving-Stutvoet. What a happy ending!

Tips that can help you find your lost pet

Looking for your missing pet? Here are things you can do to get them back:

1. Before raising alarm, ensure that you have looked at every possible hiding places your pet could be;

2. Inform your animal control officer of the situation;

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3. Set up an electronic baby monitor with their favorite food on your porch in hopes that they return. You can hear sounds through the baby monitor if they approach your house;

4. Create awareness by printing flyers with pictures of the missing pet, and post them in public places and social media. You can also advertise with local newspapers;

5. Take the printed flyers to animal shelters in your area in case your pet was found by a good Samaritan and brought in;

6. Also, call local veterinarians. Describe your pet and inquire if any breed that fits the description has been brought in. You might get lucky!

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What the Sheriff’s Department did for Mr. Vanjie is praiseworthy. Much credit goes to the brilliant members of Army Corp of engineers, Ryan Martin and Jared Perrott, for their courage.

Hopefully, more people will be inspired to be kind to animals. Being in touch with humanity extends to caring for the wellness of animals.