The story of a cat named Smoka who survived 26 days buried under tons of fire debris has captivated the nation. "Nine lives or not, this cat had no business being alive," Dennie Fitzgerald told Paw Nation.
Fitzgerald, from Franklin, Ohio, was watching TV at 4:38 in the morning of August 10th when the television suddenly turned off, he told Paw Nation. Suspecting a blown fuse, Fitzgerald investigated and discovered a fire brewing. He immediately woke his tenants, one of whom was Sandy LaPierre and her cat Smoka. "But Smoka wouldn't come out," said Fitzgerald. "I had to force the cat's owner down the stairs because she didn't want to leave her cat."
LaPierre told Paw Nation, "When my landlord Dennie kicked the door down, it scared Smoka and she panicked and ran under the bed." The year-and-a-half-old cat, Smoka, who had her name long before the fire, has been with LaPierre since she was a six-week old kitten.
According to Fitzgerald, the building, constructed in 1890 with solid oak beams, burned for six hours and collapsed. "Five gas lines erupted," he said. "The fire department had to use 30,000 gallons of water on it to put the fire out."
"I thought she was gone," LaPierre said of her cat. "I couldn't hardly eat or sleep. I had people out looking for her."
Nothing, it seemed, could have survived a fire of that magnitude.
But 26 days later on September 4th, workers from Stark Wrecking Company were sifting through the rubble, when they made a stunning discovery, reports the Middletown Journal. "I was running the backhoe," Clarence Witte recounted to Paw Nation, "when my cousin hollered that there was a cat. I figured it was a burnt, dead cat, but I looked out the window and saw the cat's eyes, which were just as big as saucers." The cat had been buried under 16 feet of debris and was lying still. "That backhoe weighs 40,000 pounds, so I don't how why it didn't get squished," Witte said.
Working carefully by hand, workers dug the cat out and laid it on top of the rubble. "Its body was stiff," said Witte. "The only thing moving was its head." But the cat started "limbering up" and began moving around. Workers called Fitzgerald, who had an employee take Smoka away in a pet carrier, then called LaPierre.
"I dropped everything when Dennie [Fitzgerald] called and I went down to see her," LaPierre said. "It was incredible. I cried when I saw her. Smoka heard my voice and started meowing."
Smoka was taken to the Krebs Kohler Minnix veterinary clinic where she was found to be dehydrated with small lacerations and abrasions, said vet staff member Peggy Andrews. "She only weighed about four and a quarter pounds," Andrews told Paw Nation. "She's a sweet little cat and was otherwise well."
"The vet took care of her for free," said LaPierre. Smoka is getting her health back and is doing great, LaPierre said, and "eating like crazy." The amazing tale has attracted national media attention. "The TODAY Show called," exclaimed Fitzgerald. "They want to fly us all out to New York!" (The trip was later reportedly canceled by NBC due to the anniversary of 9/11.)
But the story isn't over. LaPierre, who found another place to live, said her new landlord won't let her keep a cat at the apartment. For now, Smoka is staying with a friend in the next building over until LaPierre finds a new place to live. "There's no way I'm giving up my cat," said LaPierre. "She's pretty amazing. She was trapped in all that rubble for 26 days!"
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I am so happy for you and your cat. I love cats too.
What a beautiful story! I am sorry and can hardly believe that the new landlord won't allow you to keep Smoka with you until you find another place. That seems cruel to seperate the kitty from you after all she has been through.
Best of Luck and God Bless you both.
You wrote my sentiments exactly, Lyn. The landlord should have bent the rules considering what both of them went through. I am sure that the other tenants would not have minded that the rules were bent as it would have been just a temporary thing. Hopefully, another apartment will become available very, very soon!
God Bless You and Smoka. A Beautiful Story.
This is my favorite story of all time!!! I'm so glad that the cat somehow survived! I wish my cat had after my evil ex-husband dumped her off on the side of the road (she survived only 1 week and I never got her back). I'm so happy for this woman!
How in the world does a woman stay with a man who dumps her cat on the side of the road.? If you really cared about your cat you would have left this man and he should be reported for cruelty. Abandoning a cat is against the law. He sounds like a heartless, sick person. Why are with such a cruel man.? He should be put away for a long time. And any woman who lets a man set her cat to get hit in traffic is just as responsible. Shame on you!
This is such a great story. Meg, I am so sorry about your cat. Evil is too nice a word for your ex-husband. He makes my ex look like a prince! He kept my cat for me while I looked for a place where I could keep her. But Smoka is a miracle! And I can't believe her landlord won't let her keep her. I have 5 and have had up to 6, but my daughter moved upstairs and took her cat with her. Thank God for sparing Smoka. This is just the kind of story I needed to hear after a bad couple of weeks.
I am sickened to hear of your ex-husband's actions but it is a familiar story. I do not know how people can be so cruel as to cause the death of a living creature that someone loves as you did. Some states have animal abandonment laws and I hope that if your state does that you charged him. A person like that is as bad as a murderer for that is exactly what he did. You are so lucky to have him out of your life as sadly, you might have been next.
Mar-I did not LET my ex do what he did. How DARE you accuse me of that! He took her while I wasn't at home and drove off with her and dumped her. After I got home I realized she was gone and looked all over for her. He finally told me hours later where she was and I went there and looked. When you are flat broke, living 3100 miles from home, you have an abusive husband, are only 26, and have other pets to take care of, it's not that easy to just up and leave. He said that if I called the cops on him that he would kill all the remaining pets before they got there. Then, after he got out of jail, he would come after me. He did not dump the cat out in traffic. I found out where he dumped her and moved hell and high water to get her back. I came within a hair's breadth of getting her back but alas, I did not. I looked for her for 8 months until I was able to move back home and get away from him. Once I got away from him he said that if I went after any of his money he would go after half the pets (we had a total of 10 pets, 5 different species when I moved). So, I remained broke. She most likely passed away which destroys my heart each and every day. I still cry over her and it's now been 6 1/2 years. I found out two other mysterious cat deaths were at his hand too (found out after I left him) but it's he said she said now... Trust me, if I could get justice I would. I now must leave it up to God. You don't know what my situation was and should think before you judge so quickly and harshly.
Desimonerose-thank you so much for your comment. I'm sorry you've had a rough couple of weeks. Pet your kitties and kiss them-it helps! :-) I agree about the landlord-he's a miser!
Connie-thank you for your comment, too. I don't understand people that can hurt animals, either. I love all animals and can't even watch nature shows because I'm rooting for both sides! I can't bare to watch an animal being killed by another. Can't they just all be herbivores? :-) I refuse to date anyone that hunts. Luckily, the guy I'm with now (and have been for over 3 years) is wonderful towards me and the pets and wouldn't hurt a fly. Okay, maybe a fly... If driven to anger he would much rather yell or hit a wall or go for a walk. He even helps take care of the pets. I agree with you about my ex. The last few months we were together he would daily put his hands around my throat (but do nothing else) and would laugh at my facial expression. I moved away but he filed for divorce (I don't believe in it) because he said that sometimes he would get so mad at me that he wanted to punch me. With his strength, temper, martial arts and military back ground, he was afraid that he would kill me. Don't know if he wanted me to live, or just didn't want to go to prison.
I love this story. I too, am a huge lover of cats. I have two of my own. I can only imagine what the owner went through thinking that she had lost her little baby...so happy for the both the woman and the cat.
I know the landlord in this story - Dennie, thank goodness you were awake at 4am! I had heard that Dennie got his dogs out, but that a cat was missing. I was sooo glad to hear that the cat has been found - alive!
What a great story. Smoka had every will to live thru this ordeal. Thank god they found each other. As for the new landlord, he sounds like an idiot and I would move out myself. I understand alot of landlords don't want to take animals (dogs) but this is a cat which probably won't do any damage. Get a grip people, let her have her cat, they've been without each other for almost a month. I'm sure this cat would love to be with her owner now....
I'm very happy for you and for "Smoka"...she is a miracle. Never let her go. I'd move too to keep my cat. I am a cat lover also. I have one personal cat but feed any and all that come in my yard and believe me they come...just to eat. Take care
I have a cat that I love. That cat wanted to live and be with her owner. What a touching story. What a heartless landlord. They were seperated by a tragedy. Hey, landlord, let her have her cat until she can find some other place to live.
What a great story! So glad to hear that they found Smoka alive and that La Pierre will give up her place to live and find a new one..what a crummy landlord she has now. Yes, I am a landord and have allowed pets.
I also love my cat.You're great for allowing pets,especially cats.
However , you are not a landlord, you are LANDLADY !
WOW, and a special THANK YOU to the Vet who so graciously cared for Smoka! Way to go, we need more people like you!
I love a happy ending! What a fabulous story. I'm so happy you have your baby back.
This is a beautiful story! I really love cats! I wish I could send a letter and a gift to Smoka and her owner. How can I write to Smoka and her owner? Does anyone know? Thanks!
You can send anything you want to Dennie Fitzgerald at Fitzgerald Flowers, 410 South Main Street, Franklin, OH 45005. Dennie is an awesome person and will make sure that she gets anything you send. Thanks...