A major multi-day rescue operation was launched at a Dunnes Stores supermarket in Kilkenny earlier this month.
Dunnes Stores (stock image)(Image: Facebook)
A major rescue operation was launched at a Dunnes Stores supermarket earlier this month after something unusual was spotted in the ceiling.
The dramatic efforts stretched over several days at the shop in MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre in Kilkenny, where staff worked tirelessly to reach a high and hard to access area.
The strange sighting turned out to be a cat named Minka, who had gone missing on January 30 and was later spotted trapped in the roof space.
The team from New Hope Cat Rescue attended and described the situation as “a poor cat stuck very high in the roof, in a very inaccessible area”.
Dunnes employees were praised for going above and beyond to help. The rescue group said: “The staff at Dunnes in particular Ger and Eddie have been amazing going way above their paygrade on their own time to search for Minka, last night was the biggest operation.”
After a tense week, Minka finally made her way to safety. On February 7, the volunteers shared: “UPDATE SHES HOME. Found her way to safety and staff alerted her owner we are so happy!!”
New Hope Cat Rescue shared this image from the scene on their Facebook page(Image: Facebook / newhopecatrescueireland)
Minka’s owner said they were so relieved and thanked everyone who helped in the rescue operation. In a social media post, they wrote: “Minka’s owner here – I am overjoyed and so, so, so relieved that she is home safe, and she is doing very well! And I am so incredibly grateful to all the folks involved, to all the staff at Dunnes MacDonagh, who have either been trying to get her to safety, or even just kept an eye on her during the day!
“Everyone there was so invested in getting her home safe. And a special thanks to three amazing ladies that have offered me immense support in the past couple of days – thank you Denise, Marie, and Edwina!”
They also paid tribute to the Dunnes staff, adding: “In the end it was Dunnes staff alone (security, management, etc.) that worked on trying to get her down safely. I am in their debt – they stayed after hours to try and retrieve her, and battled many obstacles (not just the inaccessible height, but also logistical limitations and regulations) to try and help her.”
The story has since went viral online, with social media users praising the supermarket and volunteers. One person wrote: “Thank you Dunnes Stores and your dedicated staff for putting Animal Welfare FIRST.”
Another added: “Oh thank God she’s safe. Kept thinking about her.” A third said: “Amazing! What a rescue!! Bravo Dunnes and the dedicated volunteers!”
Someone else posted: “Amazing Story so happy all it ok now.”
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