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Tiny kittens reunite with Belleville, Illinois, firefighters who saved their lives

Five of the kittens were named after the firefighters who dug them out after they were swept into a storm drain.

BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Six kittens visited the Belleville Fire Department on Saturday to reunite with the firefighters who rescued them from a storm drain.

The nonprofit animal rescue group St. Clair TNR & Rescue said its volunteers and some bystanders spotted kittens stuck in a storm drain on Oct. 10.

With storms quickly approaching, they were able to rescue three of the kittens, but had to call the Belleville Fire Department to save the rest.

Firefighters from Station 1 worked for over an hour in the rain to rescue the kittens.

Credit: Belleville Fire Department
Credit: Belleville Fire Department

The rescue group named five of the kittens after the firefighters who rescued them -- Bassler, Laird, Schield, Carter and Lucy. 

The rescue group held a fundraiser to name the sixth kitten, and the name Spire won out.

The rescue group said it was on an intake freeze, but it made an exception for the kittens. They are working on fundraising efforts to pay for their vet care.

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