WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah, Sept. 26, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A traffic stop turned into a critter rescue thanks to a discerning sheriff’s deputy.
During the stop for a minor offense, the deputy noticed the engine sounded off, according to a Washington County Sheriff’s Office statement Monday online about the hero work. “He was about to release the driver with a warning when he heard an odd sound coming from the car. A soft meowing could be heard from the engine compartment of the vehicle.”
When he told the driver what he heard, she told him she had been missing a cat for a couple days. “Deputy Allen checked the front of the car and could see the gray fur of a cat in the grill. Gus the cat had been found!”
The deputy worked on getting Gus out of the engine area by crawling on the ground in front of the vehicle and reaching under into the engine compartment. Gus was described as at first non-compliant, fighting the officer’s efforts at extrication.
Eventually the cat let go of his hold and Gus was reunited with his owner safely and uninjured. The ride must have been amazing for Gus from Cedar City to the the LaVerkin area where the car was stopped, the sheriff said.
“The driver said, ‘It’s usually the fire fighters that rescue the cat.’ The family was very grateful for the assistance with their cat.
“Unfortunately, Deputy Allen didn’t get a photo with Gus, so all we have is this image from his body camera from the scene to share with you.”
