For any tragedy, our fur babies are also victims. God Bless them.
Pets Also Terror Attack Victims
Sept. 28, 2001 -- Talk about having nine lives, Tweety Pie is one very lucky feline survivor of the World Trade Center terrorist attack.
When terrorists crashed two hijacked planes into the twin towers of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, they did more than leave 6,000 people either dead or missing. Hundreds of pets either expecting their masters to come home or who were abandoned during the evacuation of various buildings nearby were left to fend for themselves.
Tweety Pie was among the lucky 200 animals the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has rescued since the terrorist attacks, and Kathleen Ross, Tweety Pie's owner, considers herself and her cat very blessed.
"All I wanted was my cat," Ross said. "I kept telling them, 'I want my cat. … I've got to see my cat.'"
Ross and Tweety Pie were at home only blocks away from ground zero when the attacks occurred. Ross recalled hearing a loud noise and thinking that a movie was being made nearby because she said her neighborhood is a popular spot for filmmaking. But soon she realized that the sound of a horrific attack was all too real.
"I was thinking, 'Oh, they're making another movie.' Then I saw all the stuff, the papers and debris coming down from the sky," Ross said. "A crowd was gathered downstairs across the street from the Federal Building and I went down and someone said a small plane had hit the World Trade Center. But I thought that that was no small plane."
One Tough, Stubborn Cat
Ross returned to her building and tried to get Tweety Pie into her cat carrier. But Tweety Pie didn't want to leave.
"I was so afraid … I got her box and I wanted to put her in and she wouldn't let me," Ross said. "When I grabbed her she bit me. So, I chased her around and that took a few minutes and then they started evacuating the building. And that's how we left it."
And that was the last image Ross would have of Tweety Pie for the next five days. After leaving Tweety Pie, Ross and the other tenants in her building were advised not to return to their apartments until further notice. Ross wondered whether she would ever see Tweety Pie again and worried that she would starve to death.
Because of the danger surrounding the site of the attacks and the instability of some structures, ASPCA rescue workers were not allowed access into some buildings. Ross was able to return to her building and look for Tweety Pie only through the help of two police officers who had the proper authorization to gain access to the area and escort her and ASPCA rescue workers.
An anxious Ross waited in a police van as ASPCA officials and her son went into her apartment to retrieve some clean clothes for her and look for Tweety Pie. Her anxiety turned to joy once she saw Tweety Pie's grey fur and big yellow eyes as rescuers brought her out of the building.
"God, it was so good to see her," Ross. "They were carrying her away and getting ready to inject her with something to take care of the vermin that may have gathered on her fur. But I just wanted to see her. I was so worried because all I left her was a little dish of food. But apparently, she had taken her paw and broke the bag [of cat food] and was able to feed herself. And the only water was water I had left for soaking the dishes when we were evacuated, and she apparently drank from that."
"Boy, I'm proud of her," Ross continued. "If I was a cat, I don't think I would have been able to survive, but she did."
The Search For More Abandoned Pets
In addition to rescuing more than 200 animals, the ASPCA estimates it has treated more than 300 for dehydration, respiratory ailments, and shock, among other things. Local veterinarians, kennels and volunteers have also provided temporary foster care for rescued animals until they are either reunited with their owners or their owners are allowed back into their homes.
But ASPCA officials are aware there are more abandoned pets out there they have not been able to reach, either because their owners are among the missing in the World Trade Center debris or friends and relatives of victims are unaware that the pets may be in danger.
"There will always be those animals we don't know about," said ASPCA spokeswoman Ruth First. "We're hoping that the family and friends of victims have checked on pets at the homes and have taken care of them."
But many pet owners are alone and may not have a network of friends and relatives. Those pets may be in the most danger.
"Time is running out," said ASPCA President and CEO Larry Hawk. "It is important to remember that not everyone has a responsive network of caring friends and family. In fact, the more alone people are, the more likely they are to rely on their pets for loving companionship. Hence, these pets are — and still remain — the most at risk."
The Microchip: A Pet’s Best Friend?
The ASPCA's online adoption partner, petfinder.org, has also set up a database to help reunite owners with their pets. Officials say they have also implanted microchips on some of the rescued animals to help owners find their pets in case they are separated again. The microchip, which is implanted between a pet's shoulder blades, contains a unique code that can be scanned and checked against a database that contains information about the pet's owner.
On Tuesday, their first official day back home since the attacks, Tweety Pie slept on the window sill as Ross became reacquainted with her apartment. Though mindful of the tragedy, Ross felt grateful and appreciative of everyone who helped reunite her with Tweety Pie.
"I just feel so happy about everything every person has done," she said. "I don't mind talking about something that came to such a beautiful finality."
For additional information, copy and paste the link below:
https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=90692&page=1
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