The Daytona Beach Fire Department has shared what it calls a “rescue as old as time”. They came to the rescue of a kitten that had been stuck for three days in a tree near their house. As a result, the kitten that looks like a turtle has also found a home!
According to Fire Department spokeswoman Jessica Wolfelschneider, it all started when neighbors living in the area heard the meowing.
Kittens are expert at climbing trees but not very good at climbing down. They can do it on their own given time, but sometimes, they can’t. It looks like the tree, in this case, is a particularly tall tree. Finally, a good Samaritan called 911 and the Fire Department arrived around 6 p.m. Saturday, February 4. In the photos, you can see it’s dark outside.
Firefighters have ladder trucks, helmets and gloves. In a short time, a fireman safely rescued the kitten and placed it in a bucket. The fireman gently hugged the kitten, which must have been relieved to finally be able to return to firm ground.
Once safely on the ground, it was the person who called 911 who agreed to take care of the kitten. According to the Miami Herald, they temporarily kept the turtle on an enclosed porch. After no one adopted the kitten on Wednesday, the kitten has found a permanent home with its rescuers!
Longtime firefighter and EMT Tonja Heer is also the founder of Furry Nation Salvation, which started in 2010.
Roos posed with rescued bottle-fed babies called ‘Newbies’ and even helped feed them. He was also sprayed with water during the photo shoot!
“These bottle-fed babies had to be fed around the clock and even Roos had to breastfeed a few babies during the shoot,” the rescuer said.
Firefighter Matthew Roos poses with bottle-fed kittens.
Furry Nation shared that Roos later adopted a cute kitten named Houi, who has Swimming Syndrome. For another shot, Heer, also a photographer, holds her rescued black cat Solo next to her rescued Bahami dog. Solo was only six days old when found in a tree stump just before Hurricane Dorian made landfall. Bahami and Solo fall in love.
The 2023 Calendar of Rescued Pets and Heroes will support the animal rescue mission in Volusia County. With the proceeds, the rescue force hopes to one day build a small facility in New Smyrna Beach to help animals in need as well as to continue fostering, practicing TNR (trapping, castration, return), find homes for animals, and educate about animals when needed.
Heer poses with the only female firefighters from the Fire Department who rescued the cats.
Daytona firefighters talk about the project below on WESH2 News below. Roos brought along bottle-fed kittens Chimichanga, Burrito, and Taco. Heer appears with her rescued dog, Bahami. She rescued Bahami from the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian destroyed parts of the island.