SPOKANE, Wash. — When your cat gets stuck in a tree and the fire department can’t come, who do you call? For Spokane residents, there’s now an answer: Canopy Cat Rescue.
The Woodinville-based nonprofit recently expanded to Eastern Washington and specializes in rescuing cats from trees.
On Friday, it rescued Gloria, an indoor cat belonging to the Hagel family in North Spokane. Gloria had climbed about 50 feet up a tree in their backyard.
“The fire department made it seem like they were going to come out but we waited and waited, thinking they were going to come,” said Sheena Hagel, Gloria’s owner. “We called again and they said no, they can’t come out. So that’s when I did a quick Google search.”
That search led Hagel to Canopy Cat Rescue. Rescue technician Robbie Brown arrived in Spokane in less than a day to bring Gloria safely down.
Brown drove from Leavenworth to Spokane specifically to help rescue Gloria. With his background in rock climbing, he’s now putting those skills to use rescuing cats.
“It’s really cool having a new thing to be excited about, rescuing cats and it’s definitely a lot more rewarding,” Brown said.
Gloria, typically an indoor cat, had escaped and climbed the tree a couple days earlier. The family tried coaxing her down, but she kept climbing higher.
Brown got to work quickly, making his way up the tree. By the time he reached Gloria, she was ready to come down.
“That was about as smooth a rescue as you can get. Friendly kitty, easy to climb tree, no property issues,” Brown said.
Brown said the organization gets calls for Spokane cat rescues about every other day. “Cat rescues are fairly unpredictable,” he noted.
Though Canopy Cat Rescue only recently expanded to Eastern Washington, they’re already becoming a regular presence in Spokane.
“It’s super rewarding being able to hand someone’s pet back to them and be like, ‘there you go, hope you guys have a great day’ as opposed to not being able to sleep for days, worrying about your family member crying up in a tree, hoping someone will come get them,” Brown said.
“It’s a relief to have her back with us and inside where she should be, so we’re thankful,” Hagel said.
Hagel had no idea that a nonprofit like Canopy Cat Rescue existed but was glad they expanded to Eastern Washington just in time for her to call them when Gloria got stuck.
“I would have loved to have known this was an option,” Hagel said. “So getting this out there that if you get in this predicament, that there is an option to reach out to.”
The Hagels hope they won’t need Canopy Cat Rescue again, but they’re happy they know where to look just in case.
For more information about Canopy Cat Rescue, click here.
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