Crime & Safety

Kitten Trapped In Catch Basin Rescued By Berkeley Heights Firefighters

The kitten's desperate cries for help were noticed by a resident​ near Rutgers Avenue in Berkeley Heights on Sunday morning.

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ — A helpless kitten trapped in a catch basin pipe in Berkeley Heights was rescued by firefighters on Sunday morning.

The kitten's desperate cries for help were noticed by a resident near Rutgers Avenue around 10 a.m. on June 4 and called the Berkeley Heights Fire Department for help.

Rescue 1 and Engine 4 crews gained access to the catch basin, then metered for hazardous gases before entering. Once the kitten was located in the pipe, water was sprayed from a hose line to gently persuade the kitten out, Berkeley Heights Fire Department reported.

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After being dried off, the kitten was reunited with his mother.

"A life saved is a life saved, whether it has two legs or four legs, the members of BHFD always strive to protect those among us that are in need," the fire department posted.

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(Photos via Berkeley Heights Fire Department)

Photo 1 - Pictured from left - Captain Matt Freudenberger, Battalion Chief Chris Esposito (resident cat whisperer), Deputy Chief Jim Hopkins, Ex-Chief Tom Delia and Lieutenant Jimmy Hintze)

Photo 2 - The rescued kitten.

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