Scarlett (June or July 1995 – October 11, 2008) was a former stray cat from

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, whose efforts to save her kittens from a

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...

attracted worldwide media attention, and has been described in a number of non-fiction books. If the kittens were her first litter, Scarlett was probably about nine months old. She later became a featured animal in the fund-raising and public relations efforts of the shelter that treated her and her kittens, the North Shore Animal League. On October 15, 2008, the League announced that Scarlett had died.

Fire

On March 30, 1996, Scarlett and her five kittens were in an abandoned garage allegedly used as a

crack house A drug house is a residence used in the illegal drug trade. Drug houses shelter drug users and provide a place for drug dealers to supply them. Drug houses can also be used as laboratories to synthesize (cook) drugs, or cache ingredients and p ...

in Brooklyn when a fire started from undetermined causes, though individuals using crack have been presumed to be responsible. The

New York City Fire Department The New York City Fire Department, officially the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) is the full-service fire department of New York City, serving all Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs. The FDNY is responsible for providing Fi ...

responded to a call about the fire and quickly extinguished it. When the fire was under control, one of the firefighters on the scene, David Giannelli, noticed Scarlett carrying her kittens away from the garage one by one. Scarlett herself had been severely burned in the process of pulling her kittens from the fire. Her eyes were blistered shut, her ears and paws burned, and her coat highly singed. The majority of her facial hair had been burnt away. After saving the kittens she was seen to touch each of her kittens with her nose to ensure they were all there, as the blisters on her eyes kept her from being able to see them, and then she collapsed unconscious.

Recovery

Giannelli took the intact family to a veterinary clinic at the North Shore Animal League in

Port Washington, New York Port Washington is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) on the Cow Neck Peninsula in the North Hempstead, New York, Town of North Hempstead, in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on the North Shore (Long Island), No ...

where Scarlett and her kittens were treated. The weakest of the kittens, a white-coated, died of a

virus A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living Cell (biology), cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Viruses are ...

a month after the fire. However, after three months of treatment and recovery, Scarlett and her surviving kittens were well enough to be adopted.

International media

The story of this feline mother's efforts and bravery to save her kittens attracted international attention, and the clinic received more than 7,000 letters offering to adopt Scarlett and her kittens. The clinic ultimately chose to divide the kittens into two pairs, and the pairs were given over for adoption to residents of

The Hamptons The Hamptons, part of the East End (Long Island), East End of Long Island, consist of the town (New York), towns of Southampton (town), New York, Southampton and East Hampton (town), New York, East Hampton, which together compose the South Fork ...

and Port Washington, NY. Scarlett herself was adopted by Karen Wellen of Brooklyn. In her letter, Wellen indicated that, as a result of losing her cat shortly after being injured in a traffic accident herself, she had become more compassionate and would take in only animals with special needs.

Death

Scarlett died on October 11, 2008, while with her adoptive family in Brooklyn. Scarlett needed continuing care as a result of her injuries. She was diagnosed with a heart murmur during her recovery at the Animal League Veterinary Medical Center. At her death, she was reported to have multiple illnesses.

Scarlett Award

The North Shore Animal League created an award named the Scarlett Award for Animal Heroism, in Scarlett's honor. The award is presented to animals or humans that have engaged in heroic acts to benefit others.NBC News Anchor Chuck Scarborough's Dog Oliver Honored for Bravery at North Shore Animal League America's 9th Annual Lewyt Humane Awards
July 16, 2010 North Shore Animal League Events & News. Accessed online December 10, 2015.

Books

Scarlett's story was mentioned in a ''Chicken Soup For The Soul'' book.

References

External links

Scarlett at ''Purr-n-Fur.org.uk''.
1995 animal births 1996 fires in the United States 2008 animal deaths Building and structure fires in New York City Individual cats in the United States