A cat giving birth during an apartment fire was rescued by firefighters in Willoughby, Ohio, last week, a service that will be honored by the animal rights organization PETA.
According to the Northern Ohio News Herald, the firefighters also rescued another cat of the same owner, as well as the two kittens born during the incident. The owner plans to put the kittens up for adoption.
“All of the animals were located and removed by fire personnel and returned to the occupants,” the fire department said in a press release.
PETA plans to honor the firefighters with the Compassionate Fire Department Award for not only saving the building's residents but also rescuing the animals, Vetstreet.com reports. The organization has also offered to have the cats spayed or neutered free of charge.
According to WKYC Cleveland, the fire was originally caused by a small microwave, and the flames eventually spread to the rest of the apartment unit.
All residents escaped the building uninjured and have been able to return to their homes. The apartment occupants and the cats, however, have received temporary housing arrangements from the Red Cross.