Around 8pm on Sunday night, a staff member received a call from our executive director, stating that a tiny kitten was lodged deep inside of a storm drain on a board member's property. Gathering supplies, including a 5 ft. catch pole from the shelter, the staff member made her way to the board member's house as quickly as possible. When she arrived, there was no mistaking the loud kitten cries as they echoed up through the drain, begging for help.
Without any tools long enough to reach the kitten in the narrow drain, the staff member cautiously used a catch pole, hoping to loop the end around the tiny body in order to lift him to safety. Armed with a flashlight and the catchpole, sweating and struggling, the team was finally able to lasso the kitten underneath his front legs and safely pull him out of the drain.
Drenched in rain water and blinking into the sunlight, the kitten rewarded the team with more meows as everyone cheered and exchanged smiles and congratulations. However, there was still more work to be done. The kitten was lethargic, emaciated and crawling with fleas. Without hesitation, the staff member loaded him into her vehicle and rushed him home to begin cleaning him up and getting nutrients into his system.
Dubbed Apollo, after the Greek God of Sun and Healing, the tiny kitten did not struggle at all during his first bath. He even embraced the warmth of the hair dryer afterwards while the staff member and her household of helpers worked to get him warm and dry. Because he is so weak, Apollo is currently being force fed kitten formula and canned food. He will be monitored throughout the night and we will keep you updated on his progress.
It is often said that the world of animal rescue is a thankless job, but that isn't exactly true. The "thank you" that comes from a kitten who would have died in a storm drain tonight or from a dog struggling to breathe two days ago mean so much more than any spoken words ever could.
We cannot thank YOU enough for all of your support and dedication. Because of you, we are able to stand by our mission every single day, which is to save the lives of animals while enriching the lives of humans. Please consider a monetary donation, a donation of supplies, volunteering, or simply just sharing Apollo's story on social media. Any gesture you're able to offer goes a long, long way. Every single success story with a fairy tale ending happens because of YOU.
