Several residents of an Erie, Pennsylvania neighborhood heard a cat crying from a tree for several days over the weekend, and one decided to assist the animal but ended up also needing help. As reported by the Erie Times-News, a self-proclaimed animal lover, Tara Dennis, decided to climb and rescue the distraught feline on Sunday afternoon. Dennis told the paper, “I couldn’t let the cat stay up there.”

Firefighter Steve McKenrick helped Tara Dennis down from a tree she climbed to rescue a cat. (Jack Hanrahan/Erie Times-News)

So, she scaled a fence, jumped onto the roof of a garage and managed to get herself on to a lower tree branch. Ms. Dennis estimated she climbed 40 feet total before she came upon the cat in need. “I got the cat,” 21-year-old Dennis said. “I put it in my shirt.” It was on her descent that she ran into trouble and she had to stop at a certain point. Neighbor Marty Tirak called 911 and firefighters arrived on the scene with a 28-foot ladder. Reportedly, they carried the cat down first, and then helped Dennis get to solid ground. Jeff Carroll, Erie Deputy Fire Chief, said that they responded because a person was stuck in the tree, but said, “Normally, we recommend they just let animals come down by themselves.”

More info: Erie Times-News