Dear Editor:

My name is Douglas and I am training my second canine for search and rescue, Spirit, a female Alaskan Husky. When I departed from my apartment on Saturday, Sept. 24, I didn’t expect to encounter a blue eyed Siamese cat trapped in a 12 foot deep, 3 foot wide storm drain. 

She was half submerged, crying out like I’ve never heard a cat cry before. It was 5:45 a.m., still dark and I was trying to flag down a few cars to no avail. I called the city and county authorities to which they couldn’t help me. 

I knew what needed to be done. And this was no simple operation. I knew where there was a 30 foot long, very heavy 150 pound extension ladder. I drove to it and dragged it to my truck and slid it in. I got to the stormdrain on Garrison Lane. And with all the strength I had I lifted it up in the air. I was praying and very slowly and carefully slid it down the drain as not to injure Miss Blue Eyes. With leather gloves and a flashlight in my mouth, I entered this dark and gloomy storm drain step by step knowing very well she could rip me up or slide down the exit hole to her demise. I knew also I was only going to get one shot at grabbing her and taking her to safety. I was able to grab her behind the neck and climb out of the death trap. Little did I know this wasn’t the hardest part. 

Now the real work began she was in the second and final phase of hypothermia. Uncontrollable shivering and I dried her off at my apartment with a towel and immediately started to hand warm and massage her entire body. For warrants. She was extremely lethargic and unconscious. Wet from the nose to the feet. I knew she was close to death as any animal could be. Okay. After 40 minutes she opened her eyes. I thought to myself we were halfway there. I rolled her up into a small blanket and laid in my bed with her on my chest and both hands covered her as much as I could. Three hours later she was warm and back to life and reunited with her owners. My thanks to Gary Brinkerhoff for pulling the ladder out of the drain with his Kubota tractor and covering the drain opening with a heavy 300 pound cement cover. 

If you see me and Spirit marching up and down Riverside Avenue, stop and say hi, I am there for you, for your pets and for Christ our Lord. We are in precarious times now so help your neighbors. Give till it hurts. And most of all, be kind and considerate to all.

God bless, kind regards,

Douglas Adams and Spirit

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