Cat Missing After School Bus Crashes into Rescue Shelter is Found

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By Karen Harrison Binette

bobbin
Sara Anderson holds Bobbin after the missing cat was found in the damaged building that housed Wright-Way Rescue.
Photo, Christy Anderson

 

NOTE:  The video news report included in this story  begins on autostart. It can be paused until such time as you may be ready to watch.

There was one bit of good news today for staff and volunteers with Wright-Way Rescue in Niles, Illinois, when a missing cat named Bobbin was found a few hours after a school bus crashed through the rescue’s building, displacing the animals and disrupting the process that saves animals in danger of euthanization and transports them so they can live and find good homes.

A full sized yellow school bus driven by a 62 year old woman slammed through the rescue’s rented building with such force that its future occupation is highly uncertain due to serious structural damage.

The rescue recently completed renovations to the building and fears the work and expense may have been for naught.

No animals, staff or volunteers were injured in the crash, nor were the bus driver and her lone passenger .  Had the timing been slightly different, there could have been fatalities.

“If it had been 30 minutes later, we would have lost two staff members,” said shelter office manager Amy Blevins.

Firefighters carried the shelter’s cats and dogs out to the parking lot following the crash, but Bobbin the cat’s cage was found broken and empty.

Three hours later, a volunteer discovered Bobbin in the building. According to shelter founder Christy Anderson, “He’s a survivor.’’

Bobbin’s reappearance, safe and sound, helped to cheer the staff and volunteers, who have been left wondering how they will manage to continue their work.

The bus driver said she lost control of the vehicle. She was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid and accident, according to Niles police.  Investigators will check the bus to rule out mechanical failure.

“We have absolutely nowhere to go,”  said Christy Anderson.

“The whole front is gone and the roof all caved in on top of the school bus,” Anderson said. “If it was just 10 feet further it would have killed a bunch of dogs.”

Anderson said the rescue was completing renovations on the building. “We have construction crews. . .We just redid everything in the front. All new painting had been done. New sidewalk and we just did tuck pointing on the building. We literally just did everything.’’

Wright-Way Rescue is accepting donations to help them continue their work following today’s massive setback.  Donations can be made HERE.

 

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Photo, Dana Fetters

 

A report on the story:

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A report filed after the bus’ removal from the building.

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Wright-Way Rescue seeks to reduce the number of homeless adoptable pets euthanized in the Midwest each year through an adoption program, community education, promotion of spaying and neutering, and a shelter medicine outreach program.

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