'It was a first for me': Kitten rescued from storm drain in Racine

RACINE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A kitten was rescued from a storm drain in Racine Tuesday, Sept. 13. 

The rescue happened around 2 p.m. when an employee with the Wisconsin Humane Society Racine Campus was walking a dog from the shelter and heard the cries of the kitten.

"I could tell it was a kitten because it sounded a little young," said Carolyn Nellessen, animal evaluator with the Wisconsin Humane Society Racine Campus.

The kitten was discovered in a storm drain along 16th Street, a busy street just outside the humane society's doors.

"We couldn’t see him, but we could hear him," said Nellessen.

Nellessen, doing what she does best, evaluated the situation and called in for backup.

"I went back into the building and alerted our staff, and they were on top of it in seconds," said Nellessen.

Cue the team of animal lovers coming to the rescue for the one they would soon call "Stormy."

"It was a first for me," said Jenna Crawford, youth program coordinator with the Wisconsin Humane Society.

Crawford said the team had to get creative for the save, using a live trap.

"We put some nice, good, yummy food for the kitten, set the live trap, and sat it down into the storm drain so it can go right in on its own time."

The efforts of these heroes never wavered, providing a happy ending for a paws-itively adorable kitty.

"It was very heartwarming, a great time for us to be able to do that," said Crawford.

Stormy will be up for adoption soon. As for how he got in the drain, that is still a mystery.