Scarlett: The Stray Cat Who Walked Into a Burning Building Five Times

March 30, 1996

An abandoned garage on Hutchinson Street in East New York, Brooklyn, caught fire in the middle of the night. Inside, a stray cat had been living there with a litter of five kittens. She had no name, no owner, no address. She was just a cat keeping five newborns alive in a building nobody wanted.

When the fire started, she did not run. She carried the first kitten out, set it down on the pavement outside the garage, and went back in.

Five Trips

By the third trip, her ears were burning. By the fourth, her eyes were starting to blister shut from the heat and smoke. By the fifth trip, she couldn't see at all.

She brought the last kitten out by scent and touch. Then she walked the line of kittens on the pavement, touching her nose to each one to count them. All five. She had all five. Then she stopped moving.

Firefighter David Giannelli found her there. She was burned on her face, her ears, and all four paws. Her eyes were sealed shut from the blistering. He brought her to the North Shore Animal League on Long Island.

Seven Thousand Letters

The story ran in the newspapers. Within weeks, seven thousand letters arrived at the shelter offering to adopt her. The staff selected one: Karen Wellen, who had a sick cat at home that needed a gentle companion and the quiet patience to care for an animal recovering from serious injury.

They gave the cat a name: Scarlett. One of her five kittens, a tabby named Samsara, did not survive its injuries. The other four were adopted separately.

What She Left Behind

Scarlett recovered. She lived with Karen Wellen for twelve more years, died in October 2008, and was around thirteen years old. She never went back to being a stray.

The North Shore Animal League created the Scarlett Award for Animal Heroism in her name. It is still given annually to animals who have shown extraordinary courage or sacrifice. Her story is part of the reason it exists.

She was a stray. No training, no instinct built by humans, no reason at all to go back into that building. She went five times.

Watch the Episode

Enjoying the stories? Subscribe to From Paw to Tail on YouTube for a new true animal story every week.

For Cat Lovers

Browse cat carriers and travel gear on Amazon, or shop our full cat collection.

Sources

• New York City Fire Department records, Hutchinson Street, March 30, 1996.
• North Shore Animal League records and press releases, 1996.
• Associated Press wire reporting, April 1996.

More true animal stories: From Paw to Tail Blog