Fresno plumbers rescue two kittens from sewer, storm drain, on consecutive days

A Fresno plumbing crew spent two straight days turning underground emergencies into rescues, pulling one kitten from a sewer line and another from a storm drain before both animals found immediate homes.

The first call came Tuesday, when Roto-Rooter Plumbing and Water Cleanup was sent to a kitten trapped in a sewer line. Children gathered nearby as the crew ran a high-resolution camera through the pipe to locate the animal, then used a pool skimmer net to lift the kitten to safety. One family watching the rescue was so moved that it adopted the kitten on the spot.

The second rescue followed Wednesday in a storm drain, where the same kind of quick thinking made the difference. Roto-Rooter Fresno identified the crew on that call as James Aspeitia, Luis Espinoza-Lopez and Ramon Valdivia. The plumbers lowered a tote into the drain and used soft kitten sounds to coax the animal toward them. The approach worked, and the kitten climbed into the bag and was lifted out without further harm.

That second kitten also left with a new owner right away, this time one of the rescuers. Roto-Rooter Fresno later called him Stormy, a small reminder that the story ended the way every animal rescue hopes to end: with a safe landing and a home. The company’s Fresno office said its teams serve the greater Fresno area as a locally operated branch of the nation’s largest plumbing and drain service company, handling 24/7 emergency plumbing, drain cleaning, water heater and water filtration work.

The back-to-back rescues also point to a practical problem for homeowners and businesses: sewer lines and storm drains can become hidden traps when animals slip inside openings that are hard to see from the surface. In this case, the fastest solution was not digging or forcing the issue, but getting eyes inside the line with a camera and using the right equipment to bring the kittens out safely. Roto-Rooter says some locations offer a free pet rescue service, though availability depends on the location, the technician on hand and the situation.

The Fresno rescues also fit a broader pattern for the company. Roto-Rooter has highlighted other pet recoveries across the country, and one of its Fresno technicians rescued puppies from a boarded-up basement last year. For Fresno, the week’s most memorable service call ended with two kittens out of danger and two new homes waiting.