ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. — The kitten, now named “Pipes” by his rescuer, cried through the drainage pipe near the Escambia Regional Juvenile Detention Center, where help was imminent thanks to Officer Sgt. Merideth Roberson.
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Ultimately, she decided that going in was the best way to get Pipes out after unsuccessfully trying to set a humane cat trap. Sgt. Roberson began playing videos of a mother cat calling for her babies to lure the kitten closer.
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“I could hear it loudly but still couldn’t see it,” Sgt. Roberson said. “I played mama cat noises again, then I saw his beady little eyeballs way at the end of the tunnel.”
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Sgt. Roberson emphasized that the kitten rescue was a team effort made possible with the help of ECSO Master Deputy Liddell, Senior Deputy Faunce, and Security Screener Jones.
Pipes was evaluated by Escambia County Animal Welfare’s veterinarian and given a clean bill of health.
Expect the new cat friend to be available for adoption at the Escambia County Animal Shelter soon.
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“I was a little scared crawling down in there,” said Sgt. Roberson. She estimates that she crawled about 50 yards through the drainage pipe. “I’m just super thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to do things like this and that I’ve received training to do my job the best I can.”
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