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American Morning

Colorado Kitten Lives to Meow Another Day

Aired June 28, 2001 - 10:55   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Whether you are a dog or a cat person, chances are you're going to love this story. A kitten buried under tons of trash in a garbage truck is rescued and lives to meow another day.

Reporter Cheryl Preheim with our affiliate KUSA has this one from Brighton, Colorado.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DOUG COULSON, CAT'S RESCUER: Three hundred tons go through here a day.

CHERYL PREHEIM, KUSA REPORTER (voice-over): It's a place where you find the things no one wants.

COULSON: This got squashed pretty hard.

PREHEIM: Mounds of trash tossed out to be forgotten.

COULSON: If something goes in, you can't ever find it.

PREHEIM: That's why one sound of life caught Doug Coulson by surprise.

COULSON: I was like well, where is there a cat?

PREHEIM: Doug found an eight week old kitten in the truck's compactor.

COULSON: Inside behind the blade just peeking out, crying out for help.

PREHEIM: She was stuck, weighing less than two pounds, wedged between eight tons of trash.

COULSON: We ended up finding the cat. We tied it with this plastic.

PREHEIM: The kitten was totally covered in spray paint and oil.

COULSON: Somebody was having fun with the cat and painted it and threw it away, threw it in a dumpster for dead or whatever and amazingly it lived. I just decided to take it to a 24 hour emergency vet.

TAMMY SUNTKEN, COMMUNITY PET HOSPITAL: Oh, goodness. Oh, goodness.

PREHEIM: She was shaved and bathed to save her from the paint and oil chemicals.

SUNTKEN: We could not tell what color she was. She's a tough little monkey and evidently it's meant to be with all that she's gone through.

PREHEIM: Now named Packer for the place she was found, she needs a family.

SUNTKEN: She's ready to go home.

COULSON: She's precious.

PREHEIM: While Doug's stepdaughter Charisa (ph) has only one wish for her 11th birthday...

CHARISA: A cat.

COULSON: No. No way is she getting a cat.

PREHEIM: Doug has refused, until now. Packer's changed everything.

CHARISA: Oh my god.

COULSON: Happy birthday, baby.

CHARISA: Oh, gosh. Oh, kitty, kitty, kitty cat, kitty, kitty.

COULSON: I found her in a trash truck.

CHARISA: Kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty.

COULSON: And I saved her. She's all yours.

PREHEIM: For her ordeal among the unwanted, Packer ends up with the one that wants her most.

CHARISA: Thank you, Doug.

COULSON: I love you.

CHARISA: I love you, too.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Oh, love those stories.

HARRIS: Oh, yeah.

KAGAN: Dad, daughter, kitty saved. HARRIS: OK.

KAGAN: OK.

HARRIS: Well, earlier I said what would you call a dad like that. I'd call him a great guy.

KAGAN: Absolutely.

HARRIS: A really great guy.

KAGAN: Very good. And that story, once again, from our affiliate KUSA.

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