A tale of rescue and reunion
By Carin R. Kirkegaard; photos courtesy of Diane Demis
Animals hold a dear place in the hearts of many, as was evidenced by the four-day rescue mission undertaken by two local siblings. A fortunate litter of kittens and their mother now have a new home in The Village at Castle Pines, despite an array of obstacles that were placed in their way.
Diane and Peter Demis spent their Thanksgiving weekend rescuing a mother cat and her five kittens from under an electrical shed along Interstate 225. Diane, a resident of The Village at Castle Pines, is a mother of two and a self-proclaimed animal lover. She and her brother, Peter, discovered the feline family while out driving on Black Friday. Diane said it was Peter’s hunter-like observant intellect that spotted the five little heads popping up from under the shed while they were exiting off the interstate onto Iliff Avenue in Aurora.
The dedicated siblings spent the better part of four days rescuing the four-legged family from what would have certainly been a tragic end. They made numerous trips from The Village to Aurora, stopping at pet, hardware and home improvement stores purchasing pet carriers, box traps, and a variety of delectable food to entice the mother and her babies.
Siblings Peter and Diane Demis are new parents to a family of felines they rescued roadside in Aurora.
The Demis siblings, now both in their 30s, grew up in The Village. Their parents still live in the house they grew up in and have for the last 33 years. They were watching their grandchildren – Diane’s 6-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son – during the rescue mission. All consumed with the task at hand, Diane and Peter lost track of time. Diane said it was like being kids again, having their parents calling and asking where they were, when they were going to be home and why they were trying to get those cats. She said that she and Peter even stopped answering the phone and checking their texts, because they knew it was their mom and dad telling them to come home – just like when they were kids.
In the end, the dedication paid off. They managed to rescue all five kittens and their mother. Diane says she can’t bear to give them up and plans on keeping the whole family. She laughs that she will be called the crazy cat lady.
The Connection learned of this heartwarming story when Diane sent in a photo of the mother cat with her five babies as a submission for the “Cutest Pet in the Pines” contest. To read the whole tale, read Diane’s letter below.
