Lo (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Workers renovating the Sint-Pieterskerk church tower rescued Fientje the cat from Lo, after she had been missing for several days. Benoît Hanssens and Ken Lefever risked their lives to conduct a bold operation that retrieved Fientje from the heights.
Fientje, a cherished feline known as the “mascot” of Lo cemetery, was found after being missing for several days. On Friday, workers from Arthur Vandendorpe renovation company located Fientje, the cat, at the innermost level of the Sint-Pieterskerk church tower.
Martine Craeye found immense relief after workers rescued Fientje because she had been searching continuously.
I was afraid that Fientje had jumped into a car or van,
said Martine, expressing her gratitude to the workers.
The long absence of the cat caused a complete social media alert for assistance, followed by widespread public concern.
During an interview, Benoît Hanssens and Ken Lefever described the complicated task of extracting Fientje to safety.
We actually discovered the cat by chance,
they said.
Fientje rested at the top of the high spire where no one could reach her until exterior scaffolding provided access. The workers dismantled their pigeon protection barriers before getting through a piece of natural stone to retrieve the cat. Fientje rolled into the provided cage after the workers succeeded in touching her. Her safe return was celebrated by Martine, who called Hanssens and Lefever “heroes” and promised to treat them again for their efforts.
Their first attempts proved futile when they tried pigeon deterrent removal, but they still lacked safe access to her. The workers had to destroy part of the natural construction so they could reach Fientje. Martine described her joy upon reuniting with Fientje:
I am incredibly grateful to the gentlemen.
She also shared her relief that Fientje had not wandered far but instead sought refuge in an unusual location.
Credit: Koen Van Colen
What makes Lo and Fientje’s story unique?
The small municipality of Lo-Reninge welcomes Fientje and other pets into the core of its community culture. Local citizens look to the Sint-Pieterskerk church tower as an essential municipal landmark while Arthur Vandendorpe’s team works on its ongoing renovation project.
Construction projects and renovation activities expose animals to dangerous situations with the same frequency that has repeatedly mobilised Lo’s tight-knit community because of missing pets based on its rural nature. According to local statistics, about 70% of West Flanders‘ population owns pets, demonstrating the widespread impact of incidents such as Fientje’s disappearance.
