08/24/2026
6 ANIMALS. 6 DAYS. 5 CITIES. ONE WEEK WITH V.A.R.S.
This week was a reminder that animal rescue rarely goes exactly as planned.
Between August 15 and August 21, V.A.R.S. responded to six animals in six days across five Central Valley communities.
Six different animals.
Six different families.
Six completely different rescue situations.
And behind every one was a person who just wanted to know one thing:
"Can you get my animal home?”
Here’s what that week looked like.
FELIX - Hughson
Felix was a six month old tuxedo kitten who had been trapped in a tree for nearly four days.
His owner had already tried to find help. The Fire Department had responded but couldn't safely reach him, and an aerial lift couldn't fit into the backyard. A tree service had also been contacted.
Then there was another problem: the tree was on neighboring property.
With the situation becoming increasingly urgent, V.A.R.S. coordinated with Animal Services and the Sheriff's Department until lawful access was obtained.
Once we had access, we climbed in and brought Felix home.
This wasn't just a tree rescue.
It was a rescue that required interagency coordination, property access resolution, and a very worried owner who refused to give up on her kitten.
SNOWBELLE - Modesto
Snowbelle's rescue started differently.
I saw her situation on Nextdoor almost immediately after it was posted.
Instead of waiting for the problem to work its way through the usual channels, I saw the address and started networking with the City of Modesto's Public Works to figure out how we could safely access the drain.
That coordination got the drain opened.
And Snowbelle got out.
Sometimes specialized rescue isn't about climbing.
Sometimes it's about knowing who needs to be called before you can even reach the animal.
SABER - Ripon
Saber had been in a tree for two days.
His family believed barking dogs had scared him into the tree. The Fire Department had already assessed the situation, but no retrieval attempt had been made.
A family member searched for help, found V.A.R.S., and reached out.
We arrived, climbed, and brought Saber down.
Another cat home.
Another family relieved.
Another example of what happens when a specialized resource can step in when the situation falls outside the normal scope of emergency response.
ROSIE - Modesto
Rosie was only eight months old when she became stranded approximately 20-30 feet up a redwood.
Her owner could see her but couldn't reach her.
She called the Fire Department, and they gave her V.A.R.S.'s information.
Thank you, Modesto Fire Department
That referral mattered.
We responded, climbed the tree, and had Rosie safely back down less than three hours after her initial report.
This is exactly what a specialized referral pathway can look like:
A resident calls the City.
The City recognizes the situation isn't one its crews need to handle directly.
The resident gets connected to a specialized resource.
And the animal gets home.
SALLY - Modesto
And then there was Sally.
Sally isn't a cat.
She's a chicken.
She had been frightened by a lawn blower and flew into a neighbor's tree, where she remained stranded.
Her owner had found her as a stray months earlier. She free ranged, slept in the tree, and had become part of the family.
We arrived and helped get Sally safely out of the tree and back into her yard.
Six rescues. Six different animals.
And one of them had feathers.
LUCY - Acampo
Lucy had been in a tree for approximately four days.
Her owners described her as extremely sweet and friendly, and believed she had been frightened by a coyote.
We climbed up to attempt the rescue.
Then Lucy decided she had a different plan.
She jumped.
She performed a tightrope maneuver along the phone lines toward the utility pole and then proceeded to climb down the pole herself, bear hugging it and digging her claws in like she'd been training for the job.
Sometimes the animal reminds you who's actually running the rescue.
😂
SIX ANIMALS. SIX DAYS.
Felix.
Snowbelle.
Saber.
Rosie.
Sally.
Lucy.
Six animals who needed help.
Six owners who needed someone to answer.
And countless people and agencies who became part of getting them home.
Animal Services.
Sheriff's Department.
Fire Department.
Public Works.
Neighbors.
Property owners.
Community members.
And V.A.R.S.
This is what specialized animal retrieval actually looks like.
It isn't always a rope.
It isn't always a tree.
Sometimes it's a phone call.
Sometimes it's finding the right department.
Sometimes it's obtaining lawful access.
Sometimes it's coordinating with Public Works to open a drain.
Sometimes it's climbing 30 feet into a tree.
And sometimes it's just being willing to answer when someone has run out of options.
We are building V.A.R.S. to be the specialized resource that communities can turn to when an animal is somewhere they simply can't safely reach.
Six animals. Six days. Five cities.
And six more reasons to keep building.
V.A.R.S. - Volunteer Animal Retrieval Specialists
If your community needs us, we're here.
