Alameda kitten pipe rescue ends with Rusty in foster care

An Alameda kitten pipe rescue ended safely after an animal-control officer freed a young cat from about 10 feet down a metal pipe in an abandoned Ferry Point field, police said.

Alameda Police Department Animal Control Officer Crum responded over the weekend after a report of a kitten in distress. The department said the depth of the rusty pipe made reaching the frightened animal difficult, but Crum eventually rescued it.

What happened in the Alameda kitten pipe rescue?

The kitten had apparently tried repeatedly to climb out before help arrived. According to the Alameda Police Department, it was coated in wet rust and had raw, injured paw pads after those unsuccessful attempts.

UPI reported that the kitten was given a warm bath and care for its paws after the rescue. It was named Rusty.

Rusty has since gone to a foster home with an Alameda Police Department dispatcher, the same dispatcher who took the original call about the kitten, according to the police account reported by UPI and Patch.

The Foster placement is the outcome described in police-attributed reports. KRON4 separately described the arrangement as an adoption.

Who helped rescue Rusty?

Patch reported that the Alameda Police Department said a passerby, dispatcher, patrol sergeant and animal-control officer worked together in the effort to get the kitten help.

The rescue took place in the Ferry Point area of Alameda, according to UPI. Police did not detail the method used to remove Rusty from the pipe.

This story draws on original reporting from UPI.