As rescuers worked through the night and morning to save as many cats and dogs as possible from the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando fire, one firefighter found love.
Feline love, that is. Orange County firefighter Brett Maneri was one of dozens of first responders to rush toward the burning building to contain the flames and hurry cats and dogs away from the structure. Initially, rescuers feared all but 10 cats perished. As it became safe to enter the facility, they realized many other cats found hiding spots and were still alive. Maneri personally pulled several from the rubble.
“We picked out three this morning,” he recalled. “One pregnant one, Mia, and another one.”
It was Mia, a brown and orange marbled Tabby, that caught his attention. He said they found her hiding behind a cat condo. “We picked her up, and after that it was just it,” he recalled.