- A cat escaped from a home in Allentown on Wednesday and scrambled up a utility pole
- Employees of the Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living spent the afternoon making calls to the electric company, fire department and animal control
- Eventually, PPL Electric dispatched a worker who retrieved the cat and returned it to its owner
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A cat stuck on a utility pole in Allentown was saved from the hairy situation Wednesday afternoon thanks to the collaborative effort of residents who heard its cries for help.
In the parking lot of the Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living, the cat was spotted around noon atop a utility pole by Julianna Rodrigues, a project assistant and LIFE coach with the organization.
The cat was later saved by a PPL lineman about 5:30 p.m. after catching the attention of social media and the concerns of many.
According to Rodrigues, the cat was first spotted by a coworker around 11 a.m. atop the pole in the area of 13th and Tilghman streets, and arranging its rescue was no easy task.
Rodrigues's mom stayed in the parking lot the whole afternoon, while both of them called PPL and the Allentown Fire Department, only to be told that getting the cat down would be too risky.
"We [also] had a couple of coworkers trying to call the fire department, PPL and animal control," Rodrigues said.
After the failed attempts to get authorities to help, Rodrigues posted to the Midway Manor Community Association on Facebook as a resident in the neighborhood, where people rallied with suggestions and advice on how to help.
Comments poured into the group suggesting Rodrigues reach out to organizations such as the Lehigh Valley Humane Society for help.
Finally, at 4:07 p.m. Bryan Cohen, an Allentown resident, got through to PPL and successfully had them put in a ticket in to help rescue the cat.
"I know it's a cat, but it's a life too."Ana Rodrigues, Julianna Rodrigues's mom
The rescue caused a brief power outage for utility customers in the area, but service was quickly restored once the cat was pulled to safety.
"We found his owner. The cat had jumped out the window this morning, and when PPL shut the electricity off, his owner came to ask what it was about and to his surprise, it was because of his cat!" Rodrigues said.
The rescue was a huge relief to Rodrigues, as her mom had stayed in the parking lot hearing the cat crying and meowing for a whole afternoon while she was looking and waiting for assistance.
"I know it's a cat, but it's a life too," said her mom Ana Rodrigues.
It also wasn't the only cat PPL crews rescued Wednesday. A crew also used a bucket truck to rescue a cat from a utility pole in Lancaster County, ABC27 reported.
