Hazel Parkers Team Up to Rescue Cat from Cable Wires
(Arden Vanover, Jan 27, 2023)
Hazel Park, MI – On a cold and windy Monday last week, Alissa Sullivan, Hazel Park City Council member and pet care professional, found what looked to be a large squirrel at first glance but turned out to be a cat stranded on a cable wire unable to get down on its own.
As an animal activist Sullivan said her frame of reference for the world is centered around animals and their care. With that, she immediately knew she had to do whatever she could to get the cat down and to a shelter safely.
After calling Deanne Iovan of the Ferndale Cat Shelter, the two tried luring the cat down from the wire. It being Martin Luther King Jr. Day, animal control in the area was closed, and it was getting to be too dark and windy for DTE to make it out to help.
In a last effort, Sullivan posted online asking if anyone had an idea for a rescue mission or if someone nearby had the equipment necessary to even reach the cat.
Mike Toma, head arborist at Innovative Tree Services and Hazel Park resident, responded to the post and said he would be there soon with his climbing gear. 20 minutes later, he arrived, gear in hand, ready to scale the pole and rescue the stranded cat.
Sullivan said that Martin Luther King Jr. Day to her is a day of service, and that rang to be true. A group of people came together during a cold and windy day to do something for the good of the community.
“You’re supposed to honor Martin Luther King’s word for equality by celebrating a National Day of Service, and I think it was just so awesome that everybody came together for this little cat,” Sullivan said.
Birdie, named for 1920s high-wire-walker Bird Millman, is healthy, safe and waiting out her stray hold at the Ferndale Catfé Lounge until she is welcomed into the home of her future family.
Learn more about Ferndale Cat Shelter and all the great kitties looking for homes, visit https://ferndalecatshelter.org/