Cat Honored by Japanese Police for Discovering Elderly Man Who Fell in a Canal

The incident happened on June 16 at around 7:30 p.m. in Toyama when a 77-year-old female resident of the neighborhood saw a female cat named Koko acting strangely while staring into a canal, according to Kyodo News.

Curious at what the cat was looking, the woman also took a peek and discovered an unnamed elderly man lying in nearly 6-inch deep water. She immediately called her 48-year-old daughter who lives nearby for help.

Three other people also helped with the rescue, including Koko’s 45-year-old owner Tomoko Nitta and her 20-year-old and 18-year-old sons.

On June 27, Koko was awarded cat food and the five other people received certificates of commendation at the Toyama Minami Police Station. At the ceremony, Chief Satoshi Nakada told the press the “bonds among local residents, including the cat, saved a man’s life.”

“I want to tell her well-done, as (her discovery of the man) led to his rescue,” Nitta said referring to Koko.

When Chief Nakada went to pet Koko on the head, she turned away, with Nitta saying she’s “shy of strangers.”

Feature Image Screenshot via @nhk_news