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Cat stuck in tree for five days rescued by local fire department

South Pigeon Lake fire department got creative to rescue feline stuck in tree for five days.
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The firefighters make their first attempt to reach Apollo. Photo submitted/ Jasmine Devlin.

On Oct.1, 2020, Jasmine Devlin became concerned when her cat Apollo climbed a tree in her yard and couldn’t seem to make his way down to the ground again.

Two days later after coaxing and trying all the internet solutions they could find on how to get a cat out of a tree, Apollo still remained above the ground.

Devlin says that their ladder wasn’t nearly tall enough to reach the cat, given that the tree was at least 60 to 70 feet tall.

“It’s the tallest tree in our yard,” says Devlin.

On Oct. 3, 2020 Devlin posted to the local Facebook page ‘Pigeon Lake Alberta Positive Group’ to seek suggestions from others living in the area. After more attempts to coax Apollo out of the tree, Devlin decided to call the local fire department.

The evening of Oct. 5, 2020 South Pigeon Lake Fire department sent three firefighters to help rescue Apollo. At first they used their ladder, as Apollo had climbed halfway down the tree, but he spooked when they began to climb and ran to the very top.

Devlin says, “as soon as they arrived the cat climbed to the very tip.”

The SPL fire team’s ladder only reached halfway up the tree.

For their back-up plan they decided to ‘make it rain’, spraying their fire hose into the air and hoping the falling water would drive Apollo down the tree. However, Apollo wouldn’t budge.

The firefighters resorted to their last plan. They sent their youngest team member, Levi Peters, up the ladder again, and this time when the ladder ended, he kept climbing.

Peters climbed almost another entire ladder length up the tree before reaching Apollo, who was still reluctant to leave.

“The fireman had to pull him off the tree,” Devlin says. Despite a little bit of a struggle, Apollo was brought safely to the ground.

Devlin says that despite all the efforts it took to get Apollo down after five days she is “just happy that he is back safe. He is a little covered in sap but he ate.”

Devlin is thankful for all the help from the SPL firefighters that came to help with the Apollo rescue mission: Levi Peters, Cade Johnston and Brandon Stewart, as well as the community members who were following along with Apollo’s tree ordeal on Facebook.



shaela.dansereau@pipestoneflyer.ca

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The firefighters ‘make it rain’ and attempt to drive Apollo out of the tree with water. Photo submitted/ Jasmine Devlin.
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The firefighters send Levi Peters up for another climb, this time to scale the ladder and the tree to reach Apollo. Photo submitted/ Jasmine Devlin.
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The firefighters send Levi Peters up for another climb, this time to scale the ladder and the tree to reach Apollo. Photo submitted/ Jasmine Devlin.
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Apollo is brought down safely. Photo submitted/ Jasmine Devlin.
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Apollo still has some patches of sap on his fur but he is safe and full again down on the ground. Photo submitted/ Jasmine Devlin.