ADOT Incident Response Unit member rescues kitten on I-10 in Phoenix
ADOT Incident Response Unit member rescues kitten on I-10 in Phoenix
Photo Courtesy: Arizona Humane Society
ADOT employee Rich Dimaio was driving on Interstate 10 in west Phoenix recently when he saw a woman who had pulled over and was trying to catch a kitten.
The woman told Dimaio that she was driving along I-10 when someone threw a kitten out of the window of the car in front of her. The kitten hit her car, but, thankfully, suffered minimal injuries and was able to get up and run.
The woman managed to catch the poor kitten and wrap him in a towel, and Dimaio, who is a member of ADOT’s Incident Response Unit (sponsored by GEICO) and an animal lover, took him to the Arizona Humane Society (AHS).
Less than two weeks later, AHS says the kitten, who they named Martin, is doing well and is already set up to be adopted as a working cat.
The Working Cats Program allows cats that are considered unsuitable for indoor living to still find a forever home where they can be safe and cared for, while, in turn, providing environmentally friendly pest control.
These hard working cats are spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped while at AHS, which then matches them with places like warehouses, barns or breweries – including Wren House Brewing in Phoenix.
Unfortunately, situations like this are not entirely uncommon. AHS pointed out a very similar incident in 2019 where a black kitten was thrown out of a car window, this time on US 60 in Mesa.
We wish it went without saying, but if you are unable or unwilling to care for an animal, DO NOT throw it out of the window of a moving car. Obviously, this is extremely dangerous for the animal, but also for motorists and first responders like Dimaio who are tasked with rescuing them.
In fact, this wasn’t Dimaio’s first time assisting with an animal rescue. You may recall a story earlier this year where a dog was darting in and out of traffic on I-17 in Phoenix during the morning rush hour.
After a long chase, Dimaio and Arizona Department of Public Safety Trooper Grant Hamilton were able to catch the dog, thanks in part to a McDonald's McGriddle breakfast sandwich. The dog was scared and had suffered a minor injury to her leg, but was otherwise okay.
Dimaio took her to Maricopa County Animal Care & Control, but promised her that if no one claimed her, he would bring her home – and he did. The dog, now named Freya, had found her new forever home with Dimaio and his family.