RI Crews Rescue Kitten Wedged Between Boulders

A kitten trapped between two large construction boulders for at least two days in Johnston was freed on Tuesday after a Herculean effort.

Crews used the Jaws of Life to push apart the two large rocks between which the kitten managed to become wedged in a gap of just a few inches. And the rescue might never have occurred, were it not for the Greenville Avenue homeowner in Johnston who heard the sad cries of the creature literally pinned between a rock and a hard place and adamantly set out to find the source.

Johnston Police Animal Control Officer Erin Medeiros said in an interview that the kitten has been named Soldier, is doing well and is in line to be adopted into a loving home after his rescue.

“He’s a little trooper,” Medeiros said.

For a cop who has rescued herds of animals over her career, this kitten’s predicament tugged the officer’s heartstrings more than usual.

“It was so sad,” Medeiros said of the sight of the tiny, flea-infested stray kitten pressed between the rocks when crews first responded. The kitten’s cries were crushing to hear and it quickly became clear that this cat wasn’t getting out of the bag too easily. So Medeiros and firefighters took turns stroking the kitten until the Jaws of Life arrived on scene.

“He was quiet when we did that,” she said.

Luckily for Soldier, the Johnston Fire Department is well-versed in the use of the hydraulic apparatus, which can pry apart mangled automotive sheet metal as well as push apart boulders like soup cans on a shelf. One false move and they could have crushed the kitten in their efforts to save it.

“All the guys tried to figure out the best way to handle the situation and some guys got on one side, others got on the other side, so even if something cracked, we had multiple firefighters holding on,” Medeiros said.

They got the rocks pried apart just enough for the few seconds Medeiros needed to reach in, risk her own limb, and grab the animal, ending its perilous ordeal.

“He was infested with fleas, he was dehydrated, but we got some fluids right away, gave him a bath, a flea dip, and everything he needed,” Medeiros said. “He’s doing very well.”

The rescue, which took about 45 minutes, was just one of several rescues for Medeiros on Tuesday as temperatures broke a record and peaked at 97 degrees. She said multiple dogs were saved, including one that was injured, though none were saved in such dramatic fashion as Soldier.

Though Soldier is already spoken for, those dogs are not, along with many other animals up for adoption at area animal shelters.

In Johnston, community support has helped the department provide care for rescued animals at no cost to taxpayers. A pasta dinner every year raises money for the department’s homeless animal fund. Donations throughout the year also help, Mederios said.

To contribute, send a check to the Johnston Police Department, payable to Johnston Animal Control Homeless Account, 1651 Atwood Avenue, Johnston, 02919.