 |
| Happy Endings |
| This from the "Roseville Review," August 7, 2001 Minnesota "Heroic mechanics rescue cat trapped in dashboard, by Mike Ekern Donna Roussin drives a Plymouth Voyager. Funny that everyone at Inver Grove Ford knows who she is. They even know her cat. Especially her cat. The seeds for the unlikely relationship were planted when, as Roussin was driving Pee Wee home from the veterinarian appointment on July 20, 2001, the 8 month old calico slipped out of her cage and shimmied up into the dashboard through the 4-inch hole where the gas and brake pedal stems disappear into the car's innards. "She just went right through my hands before I could grab her," said Roussin of South St. Paul. "I was afraid she was going to get into the engine." The fire wall that separates the car's cabin from the engine saved Pee Wee from becoming a seventh cylinder. But Roussin didn't know that, and she became frightened when she stepped on the brake pedal and heard Pee Wee yowl. "I thought for sure I was going to lose the cat," Roussin said. Roussin pulled into the nearest place equipped to help, Inver Grove Ford. "I said, "I need help, my kitten just ran into my dash," she said. The temperature that day had seared into the mid-90s. Mechanics began working on the car outdoors, but it soon became apparent that the temperature was too much. The dashboard was removed. The cat remained firmly in place! "It was pretty frantic with the heat and the stress," said Sandy Hoffman of Inver Grove Ford. "Everyone pitched in and said, "Hey, you've got to help,' and get it done." It seems that Pee Wee had been busy while Roussin was driving toward the dealership. The cat had managed to crawl over the top of thesteering column and was now in danger of being crushed between the column and an assortment of fuse boxes, wiring and instrumentation. In order to keep Pee Wee from getting squashed, lot manager Tom Vaught held the steering column down for more than an hour while five others worked to free the cat. Even when the car was pulled apart, the cat was so firmly wedged that it seemed as though Rouissin might have a permanent audible speedometer. That's when Hoffman, who used to birth baby sheep, stepped in. Hoffman removed the cat, twisting it and turning it around machinery and wires, completely by feel. "Once we got the cat out, I was surprised it could get into that area," she said. The effects of Pee Wee's odyssey showed. "She was panting like crazy," Roussin said. The cat and Roussin were brought into an air conditioned office while mechanics reassembled the dash. The price charged to Roussin? Absolutely nothing. The reasoning is simple. "The cat was hot and she had to get out of there," said service technician Pat Bauer. Grateful to have Pee Wee alive and well, Roussin bought the crew four large pizzas. "How many business places would do this?" she said. "They were my guardian angels that day." If anyone would like to call Inver Grove Ford, here's the phone number. (651) 451-2201. And if anyone would like to drop them a card, here's the address, Inver Grove Ford 4725 South Robert Trail Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077 |
| Family members say they were only trying to help, but they will pay a price for neglecting more than 200 animals, police say. Shocking pictures of dogs, cats and even monkeys living in filthy conditions at a Bedford County home were presented as evidence in May, when each of the Roch's were hit with 200 counts of animal cruelty after the county's humane workers investigated their Bedford County home. The Roch's were arrested, and the animals were adopted out or taken care of at the Roch's home. "There's some in cages in a barn, stacked double deep, standing in their own feces urine from above, no water, in a hot building, very bad conditions," said Kay Petty of the Bedford County Humane Association. Sisters Loraine and Elaine Roch were advised by their attorneys to take the state's offer and settle. The Roch's attorneys said there were too many charges against them, and the pictures too telling to let their case go to trial. "There's not a guilty plea entered into it, but there are certain requirements," said Larry Wallace, the Roch's attorney. "They are to pay $5,000 a piece, total $20,000 within 90 days as restitution to the humane association," said Richard Dugger, the Humane Association Attorney. The Roch's can only keep a couple of pets each and no more. They are all on probation for two years. The Roch's are not happy. "They should've offered us help instead of making us pay a fine and be on probation for two years," said Elaine Roch. The Roch's still do not believe they did anything wrong, although their animals were obviously neglected. The humane association disagrees and says this proves the county will not tolerate animal abuse. Date Posted: 07.27.01 Newscast: News 2 at 4:30 |
| Written By Lynn Walker PTI Writer |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|