Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/animal-control-officer-rescues-45-cat-burning-shelter/

A fire broke out at a cat shelter in Laredo, Texas, in the middle of the night, but all the cats were rescued thanks to the quick and brave actions of an animal control officer.

Jose E. Aranda has been working for the city of Laredo for the past 11 years and recently took the animal control officer position. Four months into his new position he became a local hero.

He arrived at Laredo Animal Care Services cat shelter one evening around 10 p.m. and noticed smoke coming from the roof of the shelter. He called the fire department and then rushed inside the burning building.

“I proceeded to open the door and saw a bunch of cats there, so I started releasing the cats before they got burned,” Aranda told Laredo Morning Times.

Dozens of cats were in stainless steel cages and needed to be freed. Aranda braved the thick smoke and excessive heat to save their lives.

The fire department arrived and extinguished the flames as Aranda was taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

No human or animal lives were lost.

The city of Laredo wanted to thank Aranda for his heroic actions, so they presented him with a certificate of recognition. The hero said he is glad all 45 cats are safe and encourages people to adopt.

“I love my job. I think that if I was another person, I probably wouldn’t have gone in to save these animals,” he said. “I could’ve easily waited outside until they (fire department) came, and God would have known what could have happened to those cats.”

Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog