Turkish Firefighter Adopts Cat He Rescued From Ruins

Rescuers have been working tirelessly to help save countless animals that are trapped under rubble after a string of massive earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria. The powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake tore through southern Turkey and northwestern Syria and has already been one of the deadliest in decades.

Volunteers are working countless hours to rescue animals, and recently a firefighter in Turkey went viral for adopting a cat he pulled out from the ruins of a collapsed apartment block.

Source: ABC7/Youtube

33-year-old Ali Cakas rescued the black and white cat after the animal had been stuck for 129 hours following the devastating earthquake. The cat was reportedly so grateful to the Cakas that he refused to leave his side after being given food and water.

Cakas and his colleagues reportedly named the cat Enkaz, which is the Turkish word for debris. Enjaz has now become the mascot for the team. Photos of Enkaz sitting on top of Cakas’ shoulder warmed the hearts of the internet, and the story was tweeted by the Ukrainian influencer Anton Gerashchenko, who has nearly 300,000 followers on Twitter. The video has now been viewed over 12.5 million times on Twitter alone.

When no one came forward to claim the cat, it was clear that his human likely died in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake. Cakas took Enkaz with him back to his home, around 250 miles away, and now Enkaz eats with him and his family and is so grateful to have been rescued.

Even before the crisis, over 15 million people in Syria were in need of humanitarian assistance according to The International Rescue Committee (IRC). Funding is urgently needed to help people who have been affected by the earthquakes. The IRC is working to provide emergency services to families in Turkey and Syria and refugee families in countries around the world. For a limited time, monthly donations will be matched as the organization works to Support communities during this crisis. They currently have over 1,000 staff inside Syria working tirelessly to provide lifesaving Support and they will be scaling up their response in Turkey as well.

Your donation will go to providing cash and essential items, such as household kits, dignity kits for women and girls, and hygiene supplies including towels and blankets. Donations will also Support essential health services in affected areas and set up safe spaces for women and children affected by the crisis. Click here to learn more about donating.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is also collecting funds for its disaster response emergency fund. This will Support “immediate cash assistance” in affected areas.

Remember when donating that you should never provide personal details, bank account information, or other information without verifying the organization or individual collecting donations.

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Related Content:

• Cat with Broken Hip Rescued From Rubble in Turkey
• Syrian Veterinarians Work Tirelessly to Save Pets and Farm Animals Who Lost Their Humans in The Earthquake
• Animals Rescued from Rubble After String of Devastating Earthquakes Across Turkey and Syria
• Justice For Kaos, the Hero Earthquake Rescue Dog Who Was Callously Poisoned in His Yard
• 100 Dogs Rescued From Puerto Rico Earthquake Head to Philly for Adoption
• A Mexican Artist Made a Mural for Frida the Earthquake Dog and It’s Giving Us Life (PHOTOS)

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