GALAX, Va. – Police made a miraculous rescue in Galax over the weekend. The victim, a little kitten, was stuck in a pipe, wet and cold and time was running out. Thank heavens for hairdryers.
“It’s not every day that you hear a kitten is stuck in the snow. At the time, we didn’t know all the information, but we were curious to see what the situation was,” said Officer Eduardo Mata with the Galax Police Department.
Police wanted to help the six-month-old freezing kitten, but the pipe was blocked by sharp metal.
“I definitely realized it was serious when I observed the kitten’s head. It was pinned against metal and it was pinned against plastic. I noticed that the metal part of tubing was razor-sharp at the bottom and the kitten’s head was stuck in between it,” said Mata.
The homeowners watched helplessly as police body cameras captured the creative use of a hairdryer.
“We began to thaw out the kitten. We began blowing it under the plastic to try to thaw it out,” said Mata.
Police think the kitten got stuck after entering from the other end of the pipe, and they knew they had to act fast.
“It really wanted help and it really wanted out,” said Mata of the kitten. “I realized the kitten — it was beginning to deteriorate. It was tired it was wet, and the water from the tubing continued to drip on its head and that water was very cold.”
After about 15 minutes, a cold cat meowed in his hands. It was a breakthrough.
“I was able to put my hand behind the head and back of the kitten. I could feel how cold it was down there,” said Mata.
Police took the kitten — cold, limp and frozen — to the vet and humane society, which dispatch had contacted.
“It was a sigh of relief. not just for myself but for my coworkers. Everybody kinda amped each other. We did what we had to do. Everybody was more than happy,” said Mata.
Thankfully, it was a happy and warm ending for a very confused and cold little kitten.
Police went to visit the cat on Monday and say he was a little shaken up, but otherwise, seems okay.
If you’re interested in adopting, you can contact the Twin County Humane Society at (276) 236-8501.