Roto-Rooter's Free Pet Rescue Program: What It Is and How It Works
Pipes, drains, and storm sewers are not built with pets in mind.
A curious kitten following a sound underground, a puppy that slips through a floor drain, a duck separated from its mother by a storm grate. These are not rare events. They happen in neighborhoods across the country, and when they do, most families have no idea who to call.
Roto-Rooter does.
Since launching its free Pet Rescue Program, Roto-Rooter's plumbing technicians have responded to calls involving cats, dogs, ducklings, and other animals trapped in drains, pipes, manholes, and underground sewer systems.
The rescues are performed free of charge as a community service, using the same professional-grade equipment the company uses for its plumbing work every day.
Caps off to Jimmy Gannon of our New York City Branch for rescuing this adorable duckling that fell through a Staten Island storm sewer grate and became separated from its mother and siblings. A passerby saw it and called Roto-Rooter for help. The duckling is being fostered by the woman who called us.
Here’s one out of Charlotte, NC last October. VK Uk, drain technician, was able to safely free a kitten trapped in a downtown sewer drain. It was returned to its owner who was very happy to have her back.
Jason Hawes of Ghost Hunters and Ghost Nation actually started his career as a Roto-Rooter plumber! He shared this photo of his four-footed crew to help us celebrate - (L-R) Maddie, Tucker, and Chewy.
Hats off to Roto-Rooter service technician, Moises Monsanto, for rescuing a family's cat in White Plains, NY. The rescue took three hours of hard work, but the kitty is safe and the rescue was performed free of charge.
Andron Reed, of the Columbus, Georgia franchise, holds a baby kitten he rescued from a storm drain.
Instagram influencer Bagel the Sunglass Cat (@SunglassCat) stopped by our Los Angeles North Branch to meet Michael White, branch manager, and learn more about our free Pet Rescues program. The 7-year-old rescue looks good in Roto-Rooter blue!
*Our Free Pet Rescue program is offered as a community service and is not available at all locations. Availability may vary based on technician capacity, safety considerations, and the nature of the rescue. While we strive to provide this service at no cost, charges may apply in situations where specialized equipment or labor is required, or where the rescue is deemed cost-prohibitive. Please contact your local office to confirm availability and details.
What Is Roto-Rooter's Free Pet Rescue Program?
Roto-Rooter's Free Pet Rescue Program is a community service offered at no charge to homeowners and community members whose pets become trapped in drains, pipes, or storm sewer systems.
When a call comes in, a technician is dispatched to the scene equipped with fiber optic cameras, radio beacon locators, and excavation tools for situations that require going underground.
Available at most Roto-Rooter locations across the country, the service varies by location, technician capacity, and the nature of the rescue. In situations involving significant excavation or specialized equipment, charges may apply.
Homeowners are encouraged to contact their local Roto-Rooter office to confirm availability and details.
Roto-Rooter describes this work as a duty to the communities it serves. As North America's largest provider of plumbing and drain cleaning services, its technicians are already in neighborhoods every day with the equipment and expertise to handle exactly these situations.
Putting that capacity to work for animals in need is a natural extension of what they already do.
The response has generated local and national news coverage, viral social media content, and recognition from animal shelters and humane societies across the country.
For many of the families involved, it has also produced something harder to quantify. The return of a pet they thought they might never see again.
How Roto-Rooter Rescues Animals from Drains and Pipes
The equipment Roto-Rooter uses for pet rescues is the same equipment its technicians use for professional sewer inspections and drain cleaning every day.
This is what makes the service effective in situations where fire departments, animal control officers, and well-meaning neighbors have already tried and failed.
Fiber optic camera inspection
The first step in most rescues is locating the animal.
A fiber optic camera snake is fed into the pipe or drain opening and threaded through the system until the animal comes into view.
The camera transmits a live image to a monitor above ground, allowing the technician to see exactly where the animal is, how far down it has traveled, and whether it is injured or in immediate distress.
In cases where a pet has traveled deep into a sewer line, this step is the difference between a successful rescue and a prolonged search.
Radio beacon location
When an animal is trapped underground, and the pipe cannot be accessed from either end, Roto-Rooter technicians use the radio beacon built into the camera head to pinpoint the exact location on the surface above.
The technician marks the ground directly over the animal, which allows for precise excavation rather than guesswork. This technology has made it possible to locate animals trapped six to seven feet underground in situations where the entry point is sealed or inaccessible.
Excavation
When the animal cannot be retrieved through the existing pipe opening, technicians dig down to the pipe at the location identified by the radio beacon, cut the pipe open, and remove the animal directly.
This is the most labor-intensive rescue method and the one most likely to involve additional charges depending on the scope of the excavation. It is also, in many cases, the only method that works.
Food, patience, and experience
Not every rescue requires cutting into infrastructure. Many animals trapped in pipes and drains are frightened rather than physically stuck.
Experienced technicians have learned that lowering food into a drain, creating a surface for the animal to climb onto, or simply waiting quietly near the opening can coax a pet to safety without any excavation at all.
A cat named Gutter was rescued from a Raleigh manhole after technicians lowered a jacket into the opening for her to climb onto.
JoJo, a 13-year-old cat missing for six days in Wilmington, Delaware, was lured out on Thanksgiving morning with treats.
The combination of professional equipment and field experience is what separates a Roto-Rooter rescue from what a homeowner can attempt alone.
Animals Roto-Rooter Has Rescued
Every rescue in this section is a real service call.
The animals are named, the technicians are real, and the outcomes are documented. These are the stories that have appeared on local news broadcasts, gone viral on social media, and earned Roto-Rooter recognition from animal shelters and humane societies across the country.
Rosie-Rooter, the Bichon Puppy
A five-week-old Bichon puppy escaped from her litter and crawled down a floor drain into the pipe system beneath her owner's garage.
The Murphy family spent the entire night trying to reach her, but the puppy had traveled too far into the pipe to be retrieved by hand. They called Roto-Rooter the following morning.
A technician located the puppy using a fiber optic camera, and two hours later, Rosie-Rooter, as she was immediately named, was back with her mother and nine brothers and sisters.
Rooter, the Springfield Kitten
A kitten in Springfield, Ohio, fell into an old well shaft and spent five days trapped seven feet underground without food or water.
Neighbors could hear her cries but had no way to reach her. Roto-Rooter technicians Mark Allan and Shannon Dorner arrived with a fiber optic camera, located the kitten in the shaft, and spent several hours attempting to coax her out.
Eventually, they lowered a basket with food. The kitten sniffed around the basket and climbed in. She was pulled to safety and named Rooter after the company that rescued her.
Zap, the Strip Mall Kitten
A kitten became trapped in a storm drain outside a strip mall in Kernersville, North Carolina.
A hair salon client heard the cries and called her husband, a Roto-Rooter technician named Bart Mathis. He arrived with camera equipment and worked for close to an hour threading the camera through the drain system.
When the location was confirmed, the pipe was cut, and the kitten freed. Zap, as she was later named, was adopted on the spot by one of the women who had gathered outside the salon waiting for the rescue to finish.
The New Jersey Kitten
A kitten living with its mother and siblings in a house undergoing renovations near Morristown, New Jersey, found its way into an open basement pipe during construction.
The pipe led straight down into the home's sewer line, trapping the kitten six feet underground. The homeowners called the fire department, which called Roto-Rooter.
Technicians Matt Lowry and Matt Mendoza fed a camera snake into the pipe, used the radio beacon to pinpoint the kitten's exact location above ground, dug down to the pipe, cut it open, and freed the kitten.
Gutter, the Raleigh Cat
A cat in Raleigh, North Carolina, disappeared into a sewer system. After the owner made several calls to local animal control and rescue organizations without success, a quick search for "who can get a cat out of my sewer" led her to Roto-Rooter.
Technicians John and Victor opened the manhole cover, assessed the situation, and lowered a jacket into the opening. The cat climbed onto it and was pulled to safety. Gutter, as she was named after the rescue, was adopted by a Roto-Rooter employee.
What to Do If Your Pet Is Trapped in a Drain
If you can hear your pet but cannot reach it, the most important thing you can do is act quickly and calmly.
Panic leads to decisions that make the situation worse. Here is what to do from the moment you realize your pet is trapped.
Do not pour water into the drain
Turn off any water supply near the affected drain and do not run any fixtures connected to the same line.
Water running into a pipe where an animal is trapped can push it further into the system, cause hypothermia in a cold or wet environment, or create a drowning risk in a pipe with no drainage outlet.
Do not try to force the animal out
Avoid reaching into a pipe or drain opening to grab a frightened animal. A scared animal in a confined space will scratch, bite, and push itself further away from the source of the threat.
Inserting objects into the pipe to push or guide the animal can wedge it more firmly in place, making the rescue significantly harder.
Stay calm near the opening
Sit or crouch quietly near the drain opening and speak in a low, calm voice. Animals in distress respond to the tone and energy of the people around them, and a familiar voice can encourage a pet that is frightened but not physically stuck to move toward the exit on its own.
Place a small amount of strongly scented food near the opening and do not block it entirely - the animal needs to see a clear exit.
Note the location carefully
Be as specific as possible about where the animal entered the drain, how long it has been trapped, and any sounds you can still hear when you call for help.
If the drain is in a public area such as a street or storm sewer, note the nearest intersection or address. This information helps the responding technician arrive with the right equipment and a preliminary rescue plan.
Call Roto-Rooter immediately
Do not wait to see if the animal comes out on its own. Call Roto-Rooter immediately.
Every hour a pet spends in a pipe or drain increases the risk of dehydration, hypothermia, and injury from attempting to free itself. Roto-Rooter is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can dispatch a technician with the equipment needed to locate and retrieve the animal safely.
Beyond Rescue: Roto-Rooter's Annual Food Drive
Each November, Roto-Rooter branches across the country participate in the Pet Rescues Giving Thanks Food Drive, collecting canned goods and pet food from customers and employees to donate to local food banks and animal shelters before the holiday season.
In 2024, the drive collected over 45,000 canned goods and pet food items. Every item was donated to local organizations in the communities where Roto-Rooter operates, reaching shelters and food banks across the country in time for Thanksgiving.
How to Prevent Your Pet from Getting Trapped
Most pet drain entrapments are preventable. The openings that allow animals into pipes and storm sewers are almost always ones that could have been covered, screened, or secured before a curious pet found them.
A few simple precautions eliminate the most common entry points.
Cover floor drains in garages and basements
Floor drains in garages, basements, and utility rooms are among the most common entry points for small pets. A puppy or kitten can slip through an uncovered floor drain in seconds.
Drain covers with small mesh openings allow water to flow through while blocking access to the pipe below. Check that existing covers are secure and undamaged, particularly in older homes where drain grates may have shifted or rusted loose over time.
Screen storm sewer grates near the home
Storm sewer grates along streets and driveways have openings wide enough for small animals to fall through.
A piece of hardware cloth or galvanized steel mesh secured over the grate with zip ties or wire provides a barrier that water passes through freely while blocking animal access.
This is especially important in homes with small dogs or cats that spend time outdoors near the street.
Secure open pipes during home renovations
Construction and renovation work frequently leaves pipes open and unattended for hours or days at a time. An open basement pipe, a disconnected sewer connection, or an exposed vent stack are all potential entry points for a curious pet exploring a disrupted space.
Cap all open pipes at the end of each workday and restrict pet access to areas where active plumbing work is underway.
Keep bathroom doors closed during unsupervised time
Toilet drains, bathtub drains, and sink drains are less common entry points for pets, but not impossible ones for very small animals.
Keeping bathroom doors closed when pets are unsupervised eliminates the risk and costs nothing.
Inspect your property for gaps and openings
Walk the perimeter of your property and identify any uncovered drain openings, exposed pipes, or gaps in foundation walls where pipes enter the building.
Pay particular attention to areas near air conditioning units, sump pump pits, and crawl space access points.
A visual inspection once or twice a year catches openings before a pet does.
If Your Pet Is Trapped, Call Roto-Rooter
Every rescue story in this article started the same way. A pet disappeared into a drain, a pipe, or a storm sewer. A family panicked. Someone made a call.
Our technicians carry the fiber optic cameras, radio beacon locators, and excavation equipment needed to locate and retrieve animals from pipes and drain systems of any depth and complexity. The rescue is performed free of charge at most locations as a community service.
If your pet is trapped, do not wait. Call ${marketPhone} or schedule service online today.