Posted: Oct. 20, 2008, 3 a.m. EDT
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Scarlett's heroism left her badly burned, but saved her five kittens. She died last week of multiple illnesses. Photo courtesy North Shore Animal League.
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Scarlett, a mother cat who survived a
Brooklyn, N.Y., garage fire in 1996 after running into the flames to pull her five kittens out of the burning structure, died of multiple illnesses Oct. 15. She lived with her adoptive family for more than 12 years after her ordeal.
The calico cat made international headlines following the incident that left her badly burned. She required ongoing care as a result of her injuries, and was also diagnosed with a heart murmur.
On the day of the blaze, firefighter David Giannelli spotted the cat after she was seen touching each of her 4-week-old kittens with her nose, to make sure that her litter was safe, and then falling unconscious. He took the cats to North Shore Animal League
America for treatment.
After a three-month recovery period, the cats were ready for adoption. The kittens were adopted out in pairs and Scarlett went to live with Karen Wellen in
Brooklyn, who was selected from a group of 7,000 applicants.
The North Shore Animal League created a heroism award in Scarlett's name and recently unveiled
The Scarlett Room, an online site showcasing animals in the organization's sponsor program.