The historic July floods caused a lot of interior destruction to stores across the state.Kitty Korner Cafe in Barre was no exception.The one difference was Alexis Dexter, the owner, created some of the damage inside her store intentionally.However, it was because there were lives on the line to save.As the heavy rainfall filled the streets of Downtown Barre in July, Dexter knew water seeping into her café was inevitable.Her thought process went to what she was going to do with her 57 cats that were located on the first floor.”It was ‘get the cats, put them in a carrier, and put them up high,’ as many as you could and as quickly as you could,” Dexter said.She put her kittens on shelves several feet above the floor as quickly as possible.However, as the water continued to rise, Dexter needed to adjust her plan to keep up.”By the time that was done, there was easily 4-6 inches of water on the ground, and it was coming through the cracks of the door,” Dexter said. “A caveman mentality struck me, and I said, ‘I need to get this water somewhere else.'”The thought was how to get the water to the basement.In those frantic moments, Dexter and her staff members made holes by smashing the floor with these hammers.It sent 7 feet of water to the cellar.While it destroyed her basement, Dexter believes it saved the kittens.”I just knew I had 57 different lives depending on me,” Dexter said.After being the hero, Alexis is looking for her own rescue to help with the cafe’s recovery funds.”Unlike a normal business where when you’re closed, you’re not paying staff or paying for supplies, we still have cats to feed, clean, and take to the vet,” Dexter said.They’re still a long way from re-opening, but when they do, Dexter said they’ll be better prepared for next time.She plans to make her man-made holes into drain holes.”If someone says there is a flash flood warning, I’m going to pop open the little holes in the floor and I’m going to sit and wait,” Dexter said.If you are interested in adopting one of the cats, you can book an appointment with Alexis to see the cats here.
The historic July floods caused a lot of interior destruction to stores across the state.
Kitty Korner Cafe in Barre was no exception.
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The one difference was Alexis Dexter, the owner, created some of the damage inside her store intentionally.
However, it was because there were lives on the line to save.
As the heavy rainfall filled the streets of Downtown Barre in July, Dexter knew water seeping into her café was inevitable.
Her thought process went to what she was going to do with her 57 cats that were located on the first floor.
“It was ‘get the cats, put them in a carrier, and put them up high,’ as many as you could and as quickly as you could,” Dexter said.
She put her kittens on shelves several feet above the floor as quickly as possible.
However, as the water continued to rise, Dexter needed to adjust her plan to keep up.
“By the time that was done, there was easily 4-6 inches of water on the ground, and it was coming through the cracks of the door,” Dexter said. “A caveman mentality struck me, and I said, ‘I need to get this water somewhere else.'”
The thought was how to get the water to the basement.
In those frantic moments, Dexter and her staff members made holes by smashing the floor with these hammers.
It sent 7 feet of water to the cellar.
While it destroyed her basement, Dexter believes it saved the kittens.
“I just knew I had 57 different lives depending on me,” Dexter said.
After being the hero, Alexis is looking for her own rescue to help with the cafe’s recovery funds.
“Unlike a normal business where when you’re closed, you’re not paying staff or paying for supplies, we still have cats to feed, clean, and take to the vet,” Dexter said.
They’re still a long way from re-opening, but when they do, Dexter said they’ll be better prepared for next time.
She plans to make her man-made holes into drain holes.
“If someone says there is a flash flood warning, I’m going to pop open the little holes in the floor and I’m going to sit and wait,” Dexter said.
If you are interested in adopting one of the cats, you can book an appointment with Alexis to see the cats here.
