Pickles came with a young girl’s McDonald’s order in Central Saanich.
Thanks to an attentive young girl, the male orange tabby cat was rescued and will be reunited with his family.
Members of Central Saanich Fire Department and Central Saanich Police Service rescued the cat from a parked, locked car Saturday afternoon near the McDonald’s Restaurant in Central Saanich after the girl had heard the animal while walking toward the fast food restaurant with her parents, said Cpt. Dan Little of Central Saanich Fire.
“This cat was crying profusely,” he said.
Little said is not clear when and why the animal entered the vehicle’s engine area, where it found itself stuck between the engine block and the firewall.
Little said the animal might have entered overnight for warmth, but nobody can be sure.
The vehicle itself belonged to a woman, who had parked near the restaurant before departing for Vancouver, where Central Saanich police eventually reached her. Police became involved after the family had contacted the fire department, which contacted police.
Little said firefighters attending the scene then used a device commonly used by tow truck drivers to open the vehicle and pop the hood.
While engine grease had blackened the animal, which Miller described as “very distraught” when discovered, it was un-injured.
“He was physically fine, ” Little said.
When an initial search for the cat’s owner was unsuccessful, he was taken to the CRD animal shelter off the Pat Bay Highway. After a post on social media garnered attention, the shelter announced Pickles’ owners have been found after the cat had been missing for more than two years.
Shelter staff stressed the importance of having permanent identification for cats, such as a microchip.
RELATED: 23 kittens rescued from ‘hoarding situation’ in Port Renfrew home
Do you have a story tip? Email: vnc.editorial@blackpress.ca.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.
wolfgang.depner@peninsulanewsreview.com
This photo shows the location inside the engine compartment of the vehicle, from which Central Saanich Fire Department and Central Saanich Police Service rescued a trapped cat Saturday afternoon. (Central Saanich Fire Department/Facebook)
