Article:
New Rochelle Fire Dept. Firefighters – Animal Heroes
We associate firefighters with men and women hastily donning gear and racing out on noisy firetrucks to do battle with devastating fires. In these dangerous circumstances, they often risk their own safety to rescue a family’s animals, as well as the humans trapped in the fires. Recently the Town of Esopus Fire Dept., near our office, was able to save a pet cat for a family who lost everything else in the fire. The beloved cat will be a comfort to them as they struggle to recover.
Not only do they fight fires, but firefighters are often called to rescue animals who are stuck in various places, such as cats who have climbed high up a tree and aren’t able to get down. Recently we heard about the New Rochelle Fire Department’s rescue of a fawn who had fallen off a high bank and became stuck in deep, quicksand-like mud at a large area pond. As the fawn’s mother stood watch nearby, the firefighters had to devise a way to reach the young one, since it was some distance from shore. Stretching a ladder across the mud, they used a rope to pull the fawn out, wrapped it in a tarp, and carried it up a ladder to the top of the bank. The rescued fawn and its mother were reunited and ran off into the nearby woods. NYSHA Board Members Harry Hovel and Marc Kissel presented an award to the Fire Dept. for their compassionate act.
Next time you see a firefighter, thank him or her for being such an asset to the community – both to humans and to our dear animals. Kudos to all firefighters who do such important and lifesaving work.
New York State Humane Association Humane Review, Vol.XLIV, Fall 2024.