I would like to thank some people who were willing to put in the time and effort to assist me in a very harrowing animal rescue ordeal that lasted several days and culminated in the successful rescue of the animal on the evening of Jan. 4.

I would estimate that as many as 20 people were connected with this operation in some way, but I am stuck with a word limit here so I can only mention those who were instrumental in the actual rescue.

Thanks to the phone company employee who happened to be working on a house next door to the trapped animal's location. He offered to use his lift to deposit a baited trap up on the roof where the cat was stranded.

The very fact that this man showed up at a critical moment was a miracle in itself.

Thanks to Jill Fudo for the use of her trap when ours malfunctioned. Thanks to Alyssa Sunkin of The Citizen whose intervention on behalf of the animal was critical, for she was able to bring the Auburn Fire Department into the picture.

Thanks to the fire chief and the rescuers who were sent out to retrieve the trapped animal from the roof. Thanks to the property owners for tolerating the meowing for days and for allowing rescuers onto their property.

The second part of this miracle was revealed later when I realized that the rescued cat was actually one of my own who had gone missing on Dec. 27.

Since the cat was behaving like a wild animal in his desperation, and since there are other short-haired black cats in my neighborhood who look like him, I was never really sure which cat I was trying to rescue until I got him into the house and took a good look at him close up.

Lisa Backus

Auburn