Heroes come in all shapes and sizes.
They can include law enforcement officers, firemen and EMT’s who risk their lives everyday for the safety of the community.
There are trained medical professionals who are responsible for thousands of successful life-saving medical procedures.
Finally, there are ordinary citizens who, in the course of a day, may help an elderly person cross the street, buy a meal for a stranger, exhibit kindness to the people they meet during the day or rescue an animal.
On Tuesday, Picayune resident Arthur Mitchell saved the life of a young kitten.
Charmaine Ray of Hammond was leaving her sister’s downtown business, April’s Hair Salon, when she heard what she believed was the sound of an animal in distress.
“I heard a yelping sound coming from a stack of cinder blocks in the back yard of the Picayune Industrial Tool store,” Ray said. “I looked down and saw a baby kitten stuck at the bottom of the pile.”
Ray said she felt helpless and knew the kitten would not survive if left among the cinder blocks. She entered the tool store to find someone to assist her with the rescue.
It was at the moment that Crystal Gallery employee Mitchell stepped in and volunteered to save the tiny feline.
“As soon as she told me about the kitten I didn’t have to think about it, I was ready to go,” Mitchell said. “I moved a couple of pallets, about 50 or 60 cinder blocks, to reach the kitten.”
Mitchell said he was relieved to find the animal was unharmed and able to move once he retrieved it from the cinder block. It was Mitchell’s first animal rescue.
“The kitten appears to be only a few weeks old and looks like a Siamese,” Ray said. “I took it home with me, bought milk and a bottle and have been feeding the kitten about every two hours.”
Although, Ray is unsure of the kitten’s sex at this time, she has named the little animal Sassy. Ray has plans to take the kitten to a vet and although she already owns a dog and two cats, she said she is becoming very attached to the young kitten and may keep it.
“This little baby animal had the lungs of a lion,” Ray said. “The kitten was screaming so loud I could hear its cries across the street. It wanted to live.”