Sunday work shift takes a “paws”itive turn for local firefighter Jason Nestor

Granville - Sunday's work day for the C shift crew at Granville Fire Department Company 17 started out pretty much like always.

Little did Firefighter Jason Nestor know that by the end of the shift he'd be rescuing and taking home a little gray and white kitten with bright blue eyes.

Nestor and his colleagues, Assistant Chief CJ Renner and firefighters, Rodney "Spike" Dunaway and Pat Blosser were responsible for freeing the four-to-five-week-old kitten from a storm drain pipe at University Town Centre.

Nestor said the manager of Hampton Inn called, asking if the firefighters could help a kitten that had fallen into the storm drain in the hotel's parking lot. The crew of four headed to the location and spent about an hour rescuing the young male feline. Helping out were officers from Granville and Westover police departments.

Firefighters removed the storm drain grate and Nestor climbed down in to reach the nervous kitten. "The kitten was rescued and handed off to PFC Kolb of the Granville Police Department," Nestor said. "He was slightly skittish but quickly warmed up to us."

It didn't take long for Nestor to decide he wanted to adopt the kitten and give him a better home than a storm drain.

"I've had plenty of animals throughout my life ranging from fish, cats, dogs, as well as farm animals," Nestor said. "One particular dog, a Weimaraner, traveled to 29 states with me."

This kitten - who joins Nestor and his fish — may have a new home, but he's still waiting for a name. The Granville FD has posted the story of the rescue to Facebook and is asking followers to help pick a name for the little guy. As of Monday afternoon, there were 113 replies with suggestions like Captain, Sparky, Rocky, Boots and Nozzle. The most popular by far was Storm or Stormy.

Other replies praised the crew for rescuing the kitten, with many people calling the firefighters heroes.

Nestor, who has been a Granville firefighter for 11 years, said this is the second kitten he's had a part in rescuing from a storm drain. The first was named Splinter from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

To get in on helping Nestor name his new friend, check out the Granville FD Company 17 Facebook page.