ST. GEORGE — She was stuck in a pipe. There was no way forward and she couldn’t turn around. Luckily for this black and white feline, a team of city and local business employees cut through asphalt to reach her. Now she’s headed for a new home.
Rooter, as she was dubbed by her rescuers, found herself in a sticky situation last Thursday afternoon. She was stuck in a pipe near Marine United at 2938 E. Panther Way, Vanessa Porter, a customer care specialist at Roto-Rooter of Southern Utah, wrote in an email to St. George News.
Jaden Hodges with Marine United heard Rooter in a storm drain at the rear of the property and contacted animal services, the St. George Animal Shelter wrote in a Facebook video.
Because the feline wandered deep into the pipe and there was no way to access her, Animal Services officer Sarah Allred contacted the city’s Wastewater Treatment Division for help, the shelter wrote.
The division’s Tyler Licalzi and Philip Hales located Rooter approximately 362 feet from the pipe’s opening, according to the video. Rooter hit a dead end as the 6-inch pipe connected to a 4-inch line.
“(She moved) further up the pipe with no way to turn around and not enough space to be able to back up,” the shelter wrote.
The team sent Roto-Rooter of Southern Utah a “distress call,” Porter wrote. Technician Jon Van Vleet found the cat underground using “state-of-the-art” camera equipment and spray-painted her location on the asphalt.
Allred monitored Rooter, who appeared “very calm” as Ryan Moss, with Moss Excavating, and Van Vleet cut the asphalt to access the pipe, the shelter stated.
“Great care was taken to gently remove the asphalt, cut open the pipe and quickly remove the cat into the safety and care of animal control,” Porter said.
Shortly after her rescue, Rooter ate “what appeared to be her first meal in a while” before being transported to the Lava Rock Veterinary Hospital. Despite reported “stinkiness,” she received a clean bill of health from Dr. Amy Murdock, the shelter wrote.
While Rooter is waiting to be spayed, she will likely be available for adoption on Thursday, April 6, Porter said. And a Marine United employee has expressed interest in adopting her.
Roto-Rooter will cover the feline’s adoption and rescue fees as part of their Roto-Rooter Pet Rescue program. Additionally, the company plans to donate funds to sponsor five adoptions of dogs or cats to “help get more furry friends into new homes,” Porter wrote.
“We cannot wait to share with everyone the rest of Rooter’s story as it unfolds,” she said.
The company’s pet rescue program is offered as a free community service. Roto-Rooter “rescues family pets and wildlife from drains, sewers, air ducts and outdoor cracks and crevices,” Porter said.
Photo Gallery
A cat, now dubbed Rooter, was rescued from a pipe by Roto-Rooter of Southern Utah and St. George Animal Services, March 30, 2023 | Video still courtesy of the St. George Animal Shelter, St. George News Rooter was rescued from a pipe by Roto-Rooter of Southern Utah and St. George Animal Services, March 30, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Roto-Rooter of Southern Utah, St. George News Rooter with St. George Animal Services officer Sarah Allred, March 30, 2023 | Video still courtesy of the St. George Animal Shelter, St. George News A cat, now dubbed Rooter, was rescued from a pipe by Roto-Rooter of Southern Utah and St. George Animal Services, March 30, 2023 | Video still courtesy of the St. George Animal Shelter, St. George News A cat, now dubbed Rooter, was rescued from a pipe by Roto-Rooter of Southern Utah and St. George Animal Services, March 30, 2023 | Video still courtesy of the St. George Animal Shelter, St. George News A cat, now dubbed Rooter, was rescued from a pipe by Roto-Rooter of Southern Utah and St. George Animal Services, March 30, 2023 | Video still courtesy of the St. George Animal Shelter, St. George News Rooter was rescued from a pipe by Roto-Rooter of Southern Utah and St. George Animal Services, March 30, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Roto-Rooter of Southern Utah, St. George News A cat, now dubbed Rooter, was rescued from a pipe by Roto-Rooter of Southern Utah and St. George Animal Services, March 30, 2023 | Video still courtesy of the St. George Animal Shelter, St. George News A cat, now dubbed Rooter, was rescued from a pipe by Roto-Rooter of Southern Utah and St. George Animal Services, March 30, 2023 | Video still courtesy of the St. George Animal Shelter, St. George News Rooter was rescued from a pipe by Roto-Rooter of Southern Utah and St. George Animal Services, March 30, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Roto-Rooter of Southern Utah, St. George News A cat, now dubbed Rooter, was rescued from a pipe by Roto-Rooter of Southern Utah and St. George Animal Services, March 30, 2023 | Video still courtesy of the St. George Animal Shelter, St. George News
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