Kind Man Rescues 2 Kittens From Oil Spill in Russia (PHOTOS)

When an ecological disaster hits, animals – both wild and domesticated – are, all too often, the forgotten victims. It is estimated that for every 1,000 humans affected by a disaster, approximately 1,500 animals will also be hit hard. Hurricane Katrina, for example, highlighted the vulnerability of animal companions who are often abandoned and left helpless when tragedy strikes. Other humans chose not to be evacuated from New Orleans and the Gulf Coast unless they could bring their beloved cats and dogs, placing their own safety in jeopardy.

In response to Katrina, the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act was signed into law in 2006, requiring state and local emergency bodies to take into account the needs of individuals with household and service animals before, during and after a disaster.

Sadly, the plight of abandoned animals in the wake of disaster has recently been thrown under the spotlight in Russia, after a deadly oil spill devastated communities in the Siberian region of Nefteyugansk.

In late June, a rupture in a key oil pipeline allowed copious amounts of the substance to flow into the Ob River.

RN-Yuganskneftegas Ltd, which runs the pipeline system, claimed to be taking “every necessary measure to minimize the environmental damage,” but residents of the area are still struggling to deal with the consequences.

The appearance of oil and other undesirable matter in drinking water has been a persistent problem.

In the midst of the ongoing chaos, one local man, Anatoly Tuptey, was praised for his compassion after rescuing two tiny kittens.

Tuptey was helping to clear up some of the oil spread near a dacha (country house) when he heard the “plaintive cries” of the little animals.

“My soul could not stand the cries, I went to see,” he said. “You never know what is going on, I had to check.”

“I waded in as far as possible in big boots and discovered a terrible sight,” Tuptey went on. “In the flooded house a wooden board was floating, with these two kittens clinging on for their lives with their paws. One was up to its neck in oil.”

“Without hesitation I went after them. I was up to my waist in oil. The ground was giving way, my wading boots were full of water mixed with oil, but I didn’t care.”

After carrying the two kittens safely back to dry land, Tuptey cleaned them and brought them to his house.

 His dog was quick to welcome the babies and help them to feel right at home.

Tuptey added that people who chose to abandon the kittens to an almost certain death in the wake of the oil spill were “heartless.” He has worked hard to help as many living beings as possible since the spill occurred and sees no difference between his efforts to save the lives of humans and his similar attempts to rescue animals. “A few days earlier I rescued people and equipment when a boat overturned, this day it was kittens,” he stated. Doesn’t his selflessness warm your heart?

You can find some tips for how to protect your animals in the event of a natural or man-made disaster here.

All image source: Siberian Times