{"id":60236,"date":"2025-12-20T19:27:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-21T00:27:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=60236"},"modified":"2025-12-20T19:27:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-21T00:27:13","slug":"santa-doesnt-always-drive-a-sleigh-and-wear-a-red-fur-trimmed-suit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2025\/12\/20\/santa-doesnt-always-drive-a-sleigh-and-wear-a-red-fur-trimmed-suit\/","title":{"rendered":"Santa doesn&#8217;t always drive a sleigh and wear a red, fur trimmed suit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Santa <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"16\" width=\"16\" src=\"https:\/\/static.xx.fbcdn.net\/images\/emoji.php\/v9\/t88\/1\/16\/1f385.png\" alt=\"\ud83c\udf85\"> doesn&#8217;t always drive a sleigh and wear a red, fur-trimmed suit. Sometimes he (or she) drives a big red and silver truck with a ladder. My Christmas present <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"16\" width=\"16\" src=\"https:\/\/static.xx.fbcdn.net\/images\/emoji.php\/v9\/t84\/1\/16\/1f381.png\" alt=\"\ud83c\udf81\"> came early today, and I am so very thankful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the way to the vet with two kittens, I made a quick stop at Tractor Supply to pick up an item. I left the AC on for the kittens and went around to the passenger side to grab my wallet, which had fallen under the seat. In a rush (as usual) and not thinking, I shut the door without grabbing my keys first, locking the car up tight. I didn&#8217;t realize the car was locked until 10 minutes later, after returning from the store. In panic mode, I quickly dialed AAA but was told it would be at least an hour before a locksmith could come out. At the time, the 2 kittens were comfortable, but I knew I had a short window of time before the engine would shut off and the car would begin to heat <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"16\" width=\"16\" src=\"https:\/\/static.xx.fbcdn.net\/images\/emoji.php\/v9\/t50\/1\/16\/1f525.png\" alt=\"\ud83d\udd25\"> up.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"6b5f6c\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"953\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/598258746_898171502560614_8824942963070231692_n-1024x953.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-60237 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #6b5f6c; aspect-ratio:1.074512676514874;width:550px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/598258746_898171502560614_8824942963070231692_n-1024x953.webp 1024w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/598258746_898171502560614_8824942963070231692_n-300x279.webp 300w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/598258746_898171502560614_8824942963070231692_n-768x715.webp 768w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/598258746_898171502560614_8824942963070231692_n-1536x1429.webp 1536w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/598258746_898171502560614_8824942963070231692_n.webp 1555w\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I frantically called the PCSO, who in turn dispatched the Polk County Fire Department. While en route, the car&#8217;s engine shut of,f and it didn&#8217;t take long for the inside of the car to get toasty. The fire department arrived within 15 minutes but the kittens were already starting to pant. After about 5 minutes, the crew was able to maneuver their tools to pull the door handle and open the car. Tears streaming down my face, I grabbed the carriers and put the kittens in the shade while the car cooled down.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"737e78\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"535\" height=\"1024\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 535px) 100vw, 535px\" src=\"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/603797424_898171569227274_2976998287402284508_n-535x1024.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-60238 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #737e78; aspect-ratio:0.5224689097428855;width:270px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/603797424_898171569227274_2976998287402284508_n-535x1024.webp 535w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/603797424_898171569227274_2976998287402284508_n-157x300.webp 157w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/603797424_898171569227274_2976998287402284508_n-768x1469.webp 768w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/603797424_898171569227274_2976998287402284508_n-803x1536.webp 803w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/603797424_898171569227274_2976998287402284508_n.webp 903w\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As quickly as they came, the crew gathered their tools, smiled, and waved Merry <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"16\" width=\"16\" src=\"https:\/\/static.xx.fbcdn.net\/images\/emoji.php\/v9\/t7\/1\/16\/1f384.png\" alt=\"\ud83c\udf84\"> Christmas to the kittens and me as they went on their way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We are incredibly grateful to the Polk County Fire Rescue for their fast response and compassion today. Because of their quick action, the kittens <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"16\" width=\"16\" alt=\"\ud83d\udc08\" src=\"https:\/\/static.xx.fbcdn.net\/images\/emoji.php\/v9\/t54\/1\/16\/1f408.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"16\" width=\"16\" alt=\"\ud83d\udc08\u200d\u2b1b\" src=\"https:\/\/static.xx.fbcdn.net\/images\/emoji.php\/v9\/t3\/1\/16\/1f408_200d_2b1b.png\"> are safe and doing well. Thank you for being our heroes! <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"16\" width=\"16\" alt=\"\ud83d\ude92\" src=\"https:\/\/static.xx.fbcdn.net\/images\/emoji.php\/v9\/t67\/1\/16\/1f692.png\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-dominant-color=\"7d6164\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #7d6164;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" data-id=\"60239\" src=\"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/597386189_898171625893935_7217869555797335368_n-768x1024.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-60239 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/597386189_898171625893935_7217869555797335368_n-768x1024.webp 768w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/597386189_898171625893935_7217869555797335368_n-225x300.webp 225w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/597386189_898171625893935_7217869555797335368_n-1152x1536.webp 1152w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/597386189_898171625893935_7217869555797335368_n.webp 1536w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-dominant-color=\"7a706d\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #7a706d;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" data-id=\"60240\" src=\"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/598306640_898171679227263_9145322548894223298_n-768x1024.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-60240 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/598306640_898171679227263_9145322548894223298_n-768x1024.webp 768w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/598306640_898171679227263_9145322548894223298_n-225x300.webp 225w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/598306640_898171679227263_9145322548894223298_n-1152x1536.webp 1152w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/598306640_898171679227263_9145322548894223298_n.webp 1536w\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saving Paws Rescue of Florida, Inc<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Santa doesn&#8217;t always drive a sleigh and wear a red, fur-trimmed suit. Sometimes he (or she) drives a big red and silver truck with a ladder. My Christmas present came&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":60237,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"wpai_generated_summary":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":true,"token":"eyJpbWciOiJodHRwczpcL1wvaTAud3AuY29tXC9sYWtlbGFuZGdhemV0dGUuaW5mb1wvbmV3c1wvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNVwvMTJcLzU5ODI1ODc0Nl84OTgxNzE1MDI1NjA2MTRfODgyNDk0Mjk2MzA3MDIzMTY5Ml9uLndlYnA_Zml0PTEwMjQlMkM5NTMmc3NsPTEiLCJ0eHQiOiJTYW50YSBkb2VzbiYjODIxNzt0IGFsd2F5cyBkcml2ZSBhIHNsZWlnaCBhbmQgd2VhciBhIHJlZCwgZnVyIHRyaW1tZWQgc3VpdCIsInRlbXBsYXRlIjoiaGlnaHdheSIsImZvbnQiOiIiLCJibG9nX2lkIjoxNjMwNDA2NjF9.4dHs7rdgGAQGtX-uzkYYQ2mgdJtgtZaSdIVrs2l4cRUMQ"},"version":2,"attached_media":[{"id":60237,"url":"http:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/598258746_898171502560614_8824942963070231692_n.webp","type":"image\/jpeg"}]},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[5427],"tags":[12972,12971],"class_list":["post-60236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kindness-in-the-community","tag-fur-trimmed-suit","tag-santa-doesnt-always-drive-a-sleigh-and-wear-a-red"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60236"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60236\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60241,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60236\/revisions\/60241"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}