While standing on a New York City train platform, Kristine Malone noticed something out of the ordinary.
Soft cries echoed from beneath the tracks.
She leaned over, scanning the gravel and rails to find the source. At first, nothing was visible, until she spotted a small, fuzzy orange shape tucked between the stones near the wall.
The little creature looked up and let out another cry, as if pleading for help.
Calling For Backup To Save A Life
Kristine quickly began thinking of how to help the tiny animal near the tracks. She posted about the situation on social media, hoping someone would respond.
Fortunately, John Debacker, the vice president of Long Island Cat/Kitten Solution, Inc., saw her message and sprang into action.
Though he knew the rescue wouldn’t be easy, John headed straight to the train station. Once there, he encountered a serious challenge.
“It was tricky getting to the kitten because he was down in the tracks. We were trying to figure out how to get to the kitten from street level, but we couldn’t do that without putting ourselves in danger,” John told The Dodo.
Realizing he needed help, John approached two Metro-North police officers and explained the situation.
Luckily, both officers were animal lovers and eager to assist.
“They were animal lovers, too. They shut off the power and escorted us onto the tracks,” he said.
Once they reached the kitten, they saw clearly that it was a small orange cat.
To avoid scaring him, John and his team moved gently but quickly, using a rescue net to lift the kitten out of danger.
The rescue mission was a success. The team returned to the platform, carrying the rescued kitten with pride.
With years of experience rescuing cats, John sensed something different about this one.
“He was very scared, but I’ve gotten many feral kittens, and he’s definitely not like one of those typical feral cats. He was really sweet almost instantly,” he stated.
From Tracks To A Safe Home
John named the kitten Metro and brought him to a New York shelter called Last Hope, Inc., where he could rest and recover.
Just weeks later, Kristine Malone, the woman who first heard his cries, visited Metro and chose to adopt him.
Metro now lives safely with Kristine and her daughter, far removed from the dangers of the train tracks.
Though his story ended well, it’s safe to say Metro won’t be venturing near rails again.
“[Malone] and her daughter, Destiny, sing Metro’s praises and Metro is thoroughly enjoying his new life in his new home … like a feline fairy tale,” Last Hope, Inc. wrote in a Facebook post.