01/09/2026
For four long days, JoJo, a 13-year-old ginger cat, was trapped deep inside a stormwater drain in Thornbury. His human could hear him calling out and left food that he was quietly eating, but he was too scared to leave the pipe.
She reached out to the council and different groups for help, but each time she was told they weren't able to assist. Even the cat traps she found were too big to fit inside the drain. So she sat beside the drain in the pouring rain, the cover open, hoping he would come out and refusing to give up on him.
Then she posted in a local Facebook group. Person after person tagged Vets for Compassion, and she reached out to us. Our rescuer, Mel, headed straight out to help.
Mel spent 32 hours beside that drain with JoJo's human, through heavy downpours that made the rescue bitterly cold and difficult. They missed a full night's sleep and got absolutely filthy crawling into the dark and the wet, monitoring a trap and camera, waiting patiently for the moment JoJo would feel safe enough to move forward. And through it all, the community rallied. The Northcote Fire Brigade came out twice to lend a hand, with one kind volunteer even returning to help while he was off shift. Others offered food, warmth, and quiet encouragement to keep the rescue going.
Then, finally, the words everyone had been holding their breath for: We got him.
JoJo is now out. He is safe, secure, and back with the person who never stopped fighting for him.
This is what compassion looks like. When others said it couldn't be done, our team stayed. Because every animal's life is worth protecting! 🐾
📸 Mel / Vets For Compassion
