A hero’s welcome: New Brunswick cat rescued by dog reunites with saviour

The New Brunswick orange tabby cat that was rescued last month has been reunited with his canine saviour.

The cat, named Ghost, was brought face to face with Cash, the dog who helped return the cat to his owner.

According to his owner Izzy Francolini, Ghost has been known to disappear from time to time and at the end of April the cat pulled a disappearing act once more. But after almost six weeks missing, Francolini thought he was gone for good.

“Everybody says after that span of time who knows if you will get your animal back right,” Francolini told Global News.

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A few weeks ago, Cash was walking with his owner Shelly Collette in Sackville, N.B. when the dog abruptly stopped and wouldn’t move.

“He just stopped in front of that manhole cover and he wouldn’t leave,” Collette said.

When she got closer to the grate, asking Cash what was in there to make him stop, she said she heard a faint cry.

Collette took a peek inside and saw Ghost trapped beneath.  Recognizing who the orange tabby was, she quickly texted Francolini and told her to quickly get to the grate.

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On arrival, Francolini contacted town workers to remove the manhole, but due to rust the workers eventually had to break the manhole cover with a sledgehammer. She said it then took a several more hours of waiting before Ghost was finally coaxed from underground and returned home.

Only a few weeks later, Collette says Cash’s rescue has led him to become a bit of a celebrity.

“He was well known and loved before this but at this point I think I might just quit my job and become his publicist,” Collette joked, adding the attention may have gone to Cash’s head.

“You know what happens to child stars, I don’t know what we are going to do.”

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On Thursday the two animals came face to face once again, though the meeting wasn’t exactly a hero’s welcome — Ghost thanked Cash with a hiss.

—With files from The Canadian Press