Fire was found trapped in a metal rubbish bin near the Clyde Fire Station by an Alexandra firefighter late last month, who called Clyde fire chief Steve Gee and then dialed 111 to spark a full fire brigade response.
The 8 to 11-week-old kitten was cut free with bolt-cutters by the quick-thinking fire crew.
That was not the end of the story for Fire. She had badly injured her right hind leg, and when vets assessed it at Vetlife Wanaka the injury and a subsequent infection were deemed so serious the leg had to be amputated.
The surgery and her ongoing care were expensive — prompting the SPCA to ask for help in covering the costs via social media.
The response to Fire’s story was swift and the number of donations meant the SPCA raised more than the estimated $1200 required to cover the cost of her treatment.
Fire’s recovery was going well and she was starting to warm to staff looking after her.
