Latest news with #BestFriendsAnimalSanctuary
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Cat who survived nearly 400-foot fall adopted by rescue pilot who saved her
A cat who survived a nearly 400-foot fall will live the rest of her nine lives with the woman who came to her rescue. As rescue crews searched a ravine at Bryce Canyon National Park for a couple that had fallen over a railing on April 29 they found something they didn't expect: a soft-sided pet carrier covered in dirt. At first, they thought it was just a backpack. But inside was the couple's 12-year-old tabby cat, who survived the 380-foot fall, according to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, the animal rescue organization that took her in. The couple, Matthew Nannen, 45, and Bailee Crane, 58, allegedly climbed over a railing at Inspiration Point, which is situated along a high plateau at the top of the park's Grand Staircase, according to the Garfield County Sheriff's Office. The couple fell and were killed. MORE: 10-year-old rescue cat becomes a model for Target The cat was bruised, shaken and suffered fractured ribs, according to the rescue organization. After veterinarians became concerned, she was sent to a specialty veterinary hospital in Las Vegas, where she received treatment for fluid in her heart, Salt Lake City ABC affiliate KTVX reported. Staff at the rescue organization named her Mirage because it was a miracle she was alive after falling from such a height. Mirage made a full recovery after receiving emergency care from the veterinary team, Judah Battista, chief sanctuary officer of the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, told ABC News. MORE: Viral cat dubbed 'largest cat anyone has ever seen' gets adopted Utah Department of Public Safety pilot Chelsea Tugaw was among the search and rescue team that day and "never forgot" Mirage, the animal sanctuary said. "We couldn't believe the cat was alive. I thought she was injured and was uncertain of her future," Tugaw said in a statement. "It gave me a lot of comfort when I found out she was going to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary to get the help she needed." Tugaw came to the rescue again and adopted Mirage -- with a blessing from the family of Mirage's late owners, according to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. "I'm so ecstatic to be taking Mirage home," Tugaw said. "I hope I can give her the perfect retirement life and let her be a nice lazy cat in her old age." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Best Friends Animal Society (@bestfriendsanimalsociety) Mirage has been given a "second chance," Battista said. "This reunion offers a glimmer of hope and light to a tragic beginning, and we're thrilled that Mirage will live out her golden years in such a loving home with Chelsea," Battista said. "We couldn't ask for a better ending for this sweet girl." Battista reminded animal lovers that there are still "countless cats" like Mirage still in need of loving homes. "You can be a hero for them," Battista said. Cat who survived nearly 400-foot fall adopted by rescue pilot who saved her originally appeared on
Miami Herald
02-05-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
12-year-old cat survives 380-foot fall in Utah national park. ‘Little miracle'
As first responders recovered the bodies of two people who plunged 380 feet to their deaths in Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park, they discovered a cat carrier covered in mud nearby. Inside was a 12-year-old cat, who appeared to have survived the nearly 400-foot fall, officials told McClatchy News over the phone Friday, May 2. The soft-sided carrier was dirty and torn, and the cat herself was 'matted and a bit sore,' but both were ultimately intact despite the dramatic plunge. 'She is a little miracle,' Judah Battista told McClatchy News. Battista is the chief sanctuary officer at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, which took the cat in for care. A staff member from the sanctuary in Kanab drove about an hour north to pick up the cat and bring her to their clinic for a full examination, where staff discovered she's about 12 years old, 'so she's a senior kitty,' Battista said. Her bloodwork was normal, especially for an animal that had experienced trauma, he said. X-Rays showed she had a couple fractured ribs and canine teeth, but the injuries don't require surgery. 'She's doing very well, drinking and eating on her own and primarily receiving love and care while she recuperates,' Battista said. 'She was definitely a bit overwhelmed by her experience, but she is remarkably sweet and is doing very well.' A video shows staff examining the cat and discussing what she had been through. 'You are one lucky nugget,' someone says as they administer a syringe. Staff have started calling her Mirage, because 'the idea that she survived is like you're seeing things — the unbelievableness of the circumstances,' Battista said. The sanctuary is working with the Garfield County Sheriff's Office to reach out to relatives of the cat's previous owners to see whether they have interest or are capable of bringing her into their home. If not, the sanctuary will handle her care and find an adoptive home for her. 'While her survival is really a silver lining in the whole story, we don't want it to be lost that our hearts go out to their families,' Battista said. 'We're happy to be able to provide the care she needs while those other realities are true.' Battista said he doesn't know how the cat survived the fall. He said he's never seen a case like this before. 'You can Google it and see that cats fall out of high rises and we have gotten cats in the past that were thrown out of a 3rd story window or were thrown from a car in a car accident, but absolutely nothing as dramatic as this and never where the animal was contained in a carrier,' he said. 'I don't know how it happened. It's definitely a miracle.'
