A PPL lineman was on the scene to rescue a cat from a utility pole in Allentown.
Courtesy of Julianna Rodrigues
‘I know it’s a cat, but it’s a life too’: Allentown community unites to rescue stranded cat from utility pole
By Stephanie Sigafoos, Alan Lu/LehighValleyNews.com
Courtesy of Julianna Rodrigues
A PPL lineman was on the scene to rescue a cat from a utility pole in Allentown.
A cat stuck on a utility pole in Allentown was rescued Wednesday afternoon.
In the parking lot of Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living, a cat was found around noon on a big utility pole by Julianna Rodrigues, the new Community Inclusion for Young Children Project Assistant and LIFE coach with the organization. The cat was later saved by a PPL lineman at about 5:30 p.m.
According to Rodrigues, the cat was first spotted by a coworker of hers around 11 a.m. on Tilghman and 13th streets, and recusing it was no easy work.
Rodrigues’s mom stayed in the parking lot the whole afternoon, while both of them were calling 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,” Julianna said, adding that her mom was also part of the collective effort to get the cat saved.
After the failed attempt to get the 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 PPL put a ticket in to help rescue the cat.
“I know it’s a cat, but it’s a life too.”
Julianna Rodrigues, the new Community Inclusion for Young Children Project Assistant and LIFE coach with Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living
The rescue caused a brief power outage for area customers but it was restored right after the task was completed.
“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 after finding that the cat belonged to a nearby resident.
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,” she said.
Courtesy of Julianna Rodrigues
A cat was found on a utility pole in the parking lot of Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living around noon. The cat was later rescued at about 5:30 p.m. by PPL.
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