(Photo provided, Town of Merrillville)
In Merrillville, the town says a fire at an apartment building this month displaced 12 families, but one family experienced a moment of hope and healing thanks to the efforts of the Merrillville Fire Department. A news release said the department received a plea the next day from a mom about her daughter’s cat, and that the family presumed the cat died, but they asked if the Fire Department could search what was left of their apartment to possibly locate the cat, the young girl’s emotional support animal, and provide closure. Merrillville Fire Chief Ed Yerga said in a release, he sent a crew to the burnt-out apartment and “lo and behold, they found the cat alive sitting on what was left of the daughter’s bed.” The cat had suffered burns on his paws and appeared shaken, but “with a little TLC from our firefighters,” Chief Yerga said, “the cat bounced back”. Chief Yerga added, “The family was extremely pleased with the outcome.”
