A little kitten had a daring guardian angel looking out for it in a most unusual way! And without her, this kitten may not have had such a happy ending. We know many people dislike putting their hands in dirty dishwater or cleaning the toilet. But one heroic woman went all out, crawling 300 feet down into a sewer to rescue this darling baby.
The Kitten Was Heard Meowing in the Sewer
Screenshots via Facebook/Lindsey Bembli
Cue in the professionals! Soon, the Delray Beach Fire Department arrived, but they couldn’t get him out. The little floof went back into the pipe, far away from rescuers. At that point, the Fire Department said the kitten world probably just find his way out eventually. However, Lindsey wasn’t convinced.
For the next two days, she left food out for the kitten. But on the third day, she could hear him “screaming” from the pipe. That’s when she decided enough was enough, and she would find a way to get him out. Lindsey tried to find the kitten and rescue him all day, but she was unsuccessful. Each day for six days, she tried and tried again to no avail. That’s when she decided to call in the big guns: Operation Liberation.
Below, you can hear the kitten’s desperate cries, prompting a daring rescue deep in the sewer system.
Media via Facebook/Lindsey Bembli
Operation Liberation To The Rescue
Operation Liberation not only rescues and rehabilitates animals but also runs a successful TNR program. In addition, they help with disaster response and assist with cruelty and hoarding cases. Owner Liz Jones was ready for the challenge to save the trapped kitten, crawling 300 feet into the sewer system through a 24-inch wide pipe.
Founder of Operation Liberation, Liz Jones
The deeper she went into the pipe, the more disgusting it became.
Screenshot via YouTube/Inside Edition (see video below)
There were cockroaches, spiders, and other nasty creepy crawlies and feces – everything you’d expect from a sewage pipe.
“I didn’t want him to die down there,’ Bembli said. ‘This is what rescue is, it’s not out of the ordinary. It’s the kind of thing that we do on a regular basis.”
Worth All the Trouble
After crawling through the pipe, Liz finally found the kitten. Small and wet, his big eyes looked up at his savior.
Image via GoFundMe
She scooped him up, and out they went. Escaping the pipe, they took the kitten to the Pet Emergency Referral Center in Palm Beach Gardens. Cleaned up, he’s a beautiful gray striped beauty.
Lindsey Bembli, Andrea Spridik, and Liz Jones were even featured in a video for Inside Edition:
In an update on the GoFundMe for the kitten, Bembli shared what the kitten was up to, and it’s hilarious.
“When your new house is too clean so you try to make it more like your old house, but your old house was the sewer.”
The rescuers are raising funds to cover the kitten’s care and help Liz save cats in South Florida.
“Liz is the most badass human I have ever met. She is currently building out her dream shelter facility in Fort Lauderdale and every dollar raised after his bill is covered would go towards saving other street cats right here in South Florida,” Bembli wrote.
Another amazing part of the rescue? His name. They named him little Donatello. A fitting name for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans with being down in the sewers.
Video by Movieclips:
We hope he lives up to his name and likes pizza too (not to eat, of course, but maybe the smell). Little Donatello is making a full recovery As of now; he’s safe and comfortable with Lindsey in her home.
REMEMBER: SPAY/NEUTER, FOSTER, VOLUNTEER, TNR & AS ALWAYS, ADOPT, DON’T SHOP!
Photos/screenshots by Lindsey Bembli/Facebook.
