Miracle cats pulled from Italy quake ruins after two weeks
The disaster comes seven years after an earthquake in the nearby city of L'Aquila left 300 people dead A large number of the victims were from the Rome area, where many former inhabitants have moved for work
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Two cats have been pulled from the ruins of Italy's deadly earthquake more than two weeks after the disaster which claimed nearly 300 lives; officials said today.
In the town of Amatrice, the worst affected by the August 24 quake, firefighters rescued Pietro the cat after his owners - who came back to retrieve some belongings - heard him meowing weakly. Dehydrated and weak, he was taken into the care of vets.
Meanwhile, in the nearby hamlet of Illica, another cat called Giorgiana was plucked from a ruined house. Her owners were killed in the quake but their daughters, who survived, asked animal welfare group Oipa to look for their three cats.
After a series of unsuccessful attempts, Oipa volunteers leaving food and calling the cat were surprised to hear at long last a quiet meowing. Freed by firefighters, Giorgiana was weak and dehydrated but alive.
Last week firefighters pulled a golden retriever called Romeo alive from the rubble of his owners' house in the village of San Lorenzo a Flaviano, more than nine days after he was given up for dead.
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