A kitten who was trapped in a sewer pipe at Dubbo had a change of luck when trained and experienced volunteer rescuers came to his aid.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The tiny feline had been in a tight spot, about four metres below the ground, when his calls for help were answered.
Dubbo Rescue Squad members used their skills to bring the kitten back to the surface on Wednesday.
The challenge would be only their first for the morning.
A young boy got his finger stuck in the wheel of a toy car, their second call for the day.
With the right tools for the job and some perseverance, rescue squad members were able to relieve the tiny tot.
Captain David Chenhall reported of the busy morning that ended with two positive outcomes.
He said the callout to the animal rescue had come through and then the call to assist with the little boy, who was about two or three years of age.
The volunteer rescuers attended Dubbo Hospital and set to work on the small remote-controlled car that was causing the problem.
They removed the toy with a small friction cutter, doing it in sections to lessen the swelling of the little boy’s finger, Mr Chenhall said.
“He was really brave,” Mr Chenhall said.
“There was a little swelling, but it will go down and he high-fived us [at the end].”
The boy received a toy given to the hospital’s emergency department by police in the lead-up to Christmas, as well as a trauma teddy from the rescue squad.
Rescuing the kitty from the sewer near Westhaven also involved some skills honed with practice and tools.
“We have a special pole… there’s a little bit of technique involved with it,” Mr Chenhall said.
The kitten was brought out, cleaned up, given warmth and food after his ordeal.
Mr Chenhall said the past few days had been a busy time for the squad, which had been called out to four jobs, starting with the first in the early hours of Christmas morning.
Together the rescuers had put in about 40 hours in that period.
“It’s good to have that commitment to the squad and to the community,” he said.