Facebook more help than the fire brigade to a cat up a tree

Last year I contrasted two news stories to ask if you are more likely to be saved by volunteers than professionals. If you are a cat stuck up a tree in the Scottish Borders, the answer is yes.

Over to The Berwick Advertiser:

Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade has refuted [sic] claims that it didn’t come to the rescue of a cat stranded 60ft up a tree due to healthy and safety reasons, insisting it is against policy to rescue small animals.

Eighteen-month-old Diesel was stuck up a tree near to his owner’s house in Foulden for five days. After the fire and rescue service said it wouldn’t attend and a tree surgeon couldn’t reach the cat, it was left to 15-year-old Kyle Watkinson from nearby Chirnside to come to the rescue.

After hearing of Diesel’s plight via Facebook, the teenager, who is an experienced climber, made his way up the tree to reach the frightened animal.

I suggest Diesel considers moving to Little Bowden. Here you may still see cats being retrieved from trees by the emergency services at all hours of the day.