Tiny Kitten Rescued From Storm Drain Behind Ashland Dunkin’ Donuts
Volunteers, restaurant employees and one talkative “hero kitten” came together to save Munchkin
ASHLAND — A tiny kitten trapped beneath the pavement behind Dunkin’ Donuts on Claremont Avenue needed more than luck to reach safety. He needed a caring community, an inventive rescue plan and a talkative feline friend named Josh.
Late Tuesday, The Cat House Feline Sanctuary was alerted by fellow local animal rescuers that a kitten was trapped inside a storm drain behind Dunkin’ Donuts, located at 624 Claremont Ave. in Ashland.
Megan Harper, a volunteer and member of the Sanctuary’s Board of Directors, said the organization immediately began developing a plan.
Early Wednesday morning, volunteers Megan, Ryan, Becky and Mike arrived to put that plan into action. Like everyone who assists the Sanctuary, each member of the rescue team donated their time and effort.
“We are made up entirely of volunteers who dedicate their time and resources,” Harper said. “Everyone there today helping rescue the cat are all volunteers.”
The biggest obstacle was the extremely confined space inside the storm drain. A standard live trap would not fit, forcing the rescuers to get creative.
The volunteers had a modified muskrat trap, adding elevated platforms that would give the kitten somewhere to climb if water suddenly entered the drain. The unusual contraption became a specially engineered, kitten-catching rescue trap.
But the rescuers still needed a way to persuade the frightened kitten to enter it.
That was when Josh entered the operation.
Josh is a friendly and very vocal black-and-white kitten currently available for adoption through The Cat House Feline Sanctuary. Volunteers safely placed Josh inside a carrier near the top of the storm drain, where his calls could be heard by the trapped kitten below.
A Wi-Fi trail camera allowed the team to monitor the trap in real time while remaining far enough away to avoid frightening the kitten.
Once Josh began calling, the plan quickly worked. The trapped kitten, now appropriately named “Munchkin”, followed the sound of his new friend and climbed directly into the modified trap.
After spending an uncertain night underground, Munchkin was finally safe.
The successful rescue was also made possible by the employees of Dunkin’ Donuts, who watched over the kitten, made sure he had food and attempted to help him before the Sanctuary’s rescue team arrived.
“We want to give a huge thank-you to the Dunkin’ Donuts team members who made sure this little kitten stayed fed and did everything they could to try to rescue him themselves,” Harper said. “It truly takes all of us, employees, community members, fellow rescuers and dedicated volunteers, to make these rescues happen.”
Munchkin is now receiving care from the veterinary team at Spring Meadow Veterinary Clinic on State Route 60 in Ashland. He will be tested for feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus, commonly known as FIV and FeLV.
He will also begin receiving his kitten vaccinations, flea treatment and deworming medication.
Once Munchkin is healthy and ready, he will become available for adoption through The Cat House Feline Sanctuary.
The organization’s standard $150 adoption fee covers all rounds of kitten vaccinations, spaying or neutering, flea prevention and the veterinary care necessary to prepare each animal for a new home.
“That’s one of the things that makes adopting through The Cat Sanctuary so special, you’re truly getting a turnkey cat, ready to become part of your family,” Harper said.
The Cat House Feline Sanctuary is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization operated entirely by volunteers and supported by public donations. With kitten season in full swing, the Sanctuary is facing an especially demanding, and expensive time.
Monetary donations help pay for veterinary treatment, food, litter, medication and other essential supplies for cats and kittens such as Munchkin.
Community members wishing to help may donate in the following ways:
Venmo: @catsanctuaryashland
Online: Donate through The Cat Sanctuary’s website
Veterinary account: Call Spring Meadow Veterinary Clinic at 419-289-2466 and ask to make a payment toward The Cat House Feline Sanctuary’s veterinary bill.
Mail: Send checks or monetary donations to The Cat House Feline Sanctuary, Inc., 1130 E. Main Street, No. 136, Ashland, OH 44805.
Harper thanked everyone who played a role in bringing Munchkin to safety, including Josh, the little kitten whose voice helped guide Munchkin out of danger.
Josh is also waiting for a family of his own and is available for adoption through the Sanctuary.
“If you’ve ever wondered where your donation goes, Munchkin is a pretty perfect example,” Harper said. “A tiny kitten stuck in a storm drain needed a team, a plan, veterinary care, food, supplies and eventually a safe forever home. Together, we can make all of that happen.”
Harper jokingly commented, that animal rescue is not a profitable undertaking because every available dollar goes back to the cats.
“That is one thing about us: Every donation goes directly to supporting our kitties,” Harper said. “There’s no money in rescue, and somehow, if we got some, we would just rescue more cats.”
A huge thank-you also goes to the volunteers whose imagination to use a muskrat trap as a a kitten-saving contraption, to Josh for answering the call and to the caring veterinary team at Spring Meadow Veterinary Clinic.
Munchkin’s rescue proved that saving one small life can require an entire community, but when compassionate people work together, even a tiny kitten trapped beneath the ground can find his way toward a brighter future and, someday soon, a forever home.
ACP News would also like to extend a special thank-you to the remarkable crew at Dunkin’ Donuts on Claremont Avenue. The concern, compassion and care the employees showed for this tiny kitten were truly heartwarming. If you have an opportunity, stop in and let the crew know their kindness did not go unnoticed.
