Louisville Water employees and an officer from Metro Animal Services were involved in the rescue. (Photo Courtesy of Louisville Water)
When Louisville (Kentucky) Water Co. employees Chad Harper and Jimmy Stone were called out recently for a broken hydrant repair job, the last thing they expected to be involved in was a kitten rescue mission. But that’s exactly what happened.
Harper and Stone spend their days helping maintain the company’s 24,000 public fire hydrants. It’s a big job; hardly a day goes by without a driver running into a hydrant with a car or truck in Louisville. And this repair call was like any other until they looked into the hole where the hydrant had once been and saw an orange tabby kitten trapped 5-feet underground.
This photo shows the kitten at the bottom of the hole where the hydrant should be. (Photo Courtesy of Louisville Water)
“Chad and Jimmy immediately called for help and Metro Animal Services came to the rescue,” says Kelley Dearing Smith, vice-president of communications for Louisville Water. “It took around 10 minutes, but the sergeant was able to use a special tool and rescue the kitten. For Chad and Jimmy, it was a huge relief.”
The team has worked on hydrants for years, and they’ve seen some unusual things before — snakes, toys and miniature cars — but this was their first kitten. After some time recovering, Dearing Smith says the kitten is now ready for adoption.
Check out these videos of the rescue operation below:
