A cat that was believed to be trapped inside a fire-ravaged Edmonton apartment building for more than a month is back with its owner.
On July 13, fire tore through an apartment building in the area of Hermitage Road and Huffman Crescent.
Apartment resident Timothy Small said he has three cats, one that was found the night of the fire and another that was found in the days after. But one of his cats, Leah, remained inside, Small said.
Late last week, Small was reunited with Leah thanks to a team effort involving the City of Edmonton’s Animal Care and Control Centre, the apartment property management company, a remediation firm and volunteers.
Leah was removed from the building around 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
The property management company, Avenue Living Communities, said in a statement that it is thrilled that its team was part of the efforts to reunite Leah with her owner.
“Thank you to the City of Edmonton Animal Care and Control for their continuous support since July 13. Out of respect for the privacy of Leah’s owner and our other residents, we have not actively discussed or shared the extensive efforts in securing the animals from this building. It has been a challenging time for our residents, and we remain committed to their privacy and safety,” a statement from chief communications and marketing officer Tammy Cho said.
“Edmonton is such a caring and compassionate community. We are grateful to be a part of this wonderful city and appreciate everyone’s support for our residents during this time.”
The building suffered extensive damage with large sections of the roof missing. The damage is estimated at $15 million.