Caesar

All the rescues I do are enjoyable. Most are enjoyable while I do them, but some, like this rescue of Caesar in Denham Springs, aren't enjoyable until the next day. Caesar's rescue was so troublesome, difficult, and strenuous for me, that I simply suffered too much to enjoy it at the moment. The next day, however, I enjoyed knowing I persevered and managed to get him down safely and bring relief to him and Lindsey, his owner.

The rescue got off to a great start, but it quickly went downhill after that. I won't bore you with all the details, but Caesar's back-and-forth movement from one part of the tree to another, his stubborn refusal to have anything to do with me, and the troubles created by the tree and my own mistakes led to my climbing 45 feet high in the tree four times over a lengthy, five-hour rescue that was exhausting for all of us. In the end, I had to set a trap in the tree for Caesar, and he gave me the gift of going into the trap after a wait of only 20 minutes. Darkness had fallen by that time, and I did not have my headlamp to light the way, but Lindsey held a bright spotlight on the scene for me so I could retrieve Caesar and the trap. When it was all over and I saw the relief and emotion on Lindsey's face, I knew then that all the troubles were well worth it. They are both happy and safe at home now, and I enjoy knowing that and having a hand in making that happen.

I forgot to bring my camera, so I have absolutely no video or pictures of Caesar during his rescue. He may be stubborn, but this one-year-old Snowshoe boy sure is a cutie.