Coon Rapids man determined to find cat after losing almost everything in fire
A Coon Rapids, Minnesota, man is working to rebuild after a house fire the night before Thanksgiving destroyed nearly everything he owned and claimed one of his pets.
Ed Truskolaski said he had been working from home when he accidentally fell asleep at his desk and woke up around 5 or 5:30 p.m. to the smell of smoke.
"So after work, I had accidentally fallen asleep at my desk. I was working from home roughly around 5, 5:30 I woke up to the smell of smoke," Truskolaski said.
Truskolaski said he used a fire extinguisher to put out a small fire in his office, but quickly realized the fire was larger than he could control.
"At that point, I got up, I grabbed the fire extinguisher that was available. I heard crackling, and there was a much larger fire I couldn't contain," Truskolaski said.
He said he tried to rescue his cats before the home became a total loss.
"I grabbed my cat carrier and tried to rescue my babies that were in the house, my fur babies, and, unfortunately, that didn't pan out," Truskolaski said.
One of his cats, Leia, did not survive the fire. Truskolaski said firefighters later brought her outside.
"They brought her to me, telling me that she passed. I took her into my arms, at which point I started to immediately perform CPR for, I don't know how long, five to 10 minutes or so," Truskolaski said. "It, yeah, it broke me. She was my fur daughter."
Another cat, Louie, is still missing. Truskolaski and his former spouse, Katherine Clancy, said they have been searching the neighborhood daily, putting up flyers and signs with a reward and setting out makeshift shelters and carriers with food, straw and water.
"When we divorced, many years ago, we just shared custody of the other cats. We didn't have children. So those were, those were our kids," Clancy said. "He called me while the house was burning down, and I drove 100 miles an hour here."
Clancy said neighbors and strangers have stepped in to help, including a local volunteer who helps trap cats. She said the search has also brought unexpected challenges.
"That was a very disappointing surprise," Clancy said of scammers who falsely claim to have found lost pets. "It's pretty dirty."
Truskolaski said he lost everything in the fire, including his clothing and medications.
"There isn't an article of clothing I have on me that survived the house," Truskolaski said. "Like this is all donation."
The cause of the fire has not been determined. Truskolaski said the investigation is ongoing.
He is staying with Clancy for now as he replaces essentials and works to rebuild.
A GoFundMe has been created to help with housing, medication replacement and other immediate needs.