We naturally tend to ignore things on the highway: debris, dust, flashes of color that fade into the blur of traffic. But animal rescuers know that sometimes, what looks like nothing at all can be a life hanging in the balance.
That’s exactly what recently happened on a dangerous Arizona highway. A tiny white spot positioned on a ledge went unnoticed by countless drivers, until one driver finally realized what it was.
To their shock, the white spot was actually a tiny furball begging for help.
Terrified And Just Inches Away From A Fatal Injury
The driver was stunned to realize that a tiny kitten, who could easily be mistaken for an object thrown on the road, was stranded on the highway. Without losing time, they immediately contacted the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT).
Workers Travis Benthin and Derik Woitaszewski were deployed to investigate the whole situation. Given the circumstances, the rescuers feared the worst, assuming that the kitten was already injured by passing cars.
Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. Although scared and on the ledge of the transition map, which was 100 feet off the ground, the kitten appeared to be fine.
She was alive, but still in trouble. To reach her, Benthin slowly approached the kitten with his shiny raincoat inside out.
“‘I wanted to not spook it,’ Benthin said. ‘So I turned my raincoat inside out because it’s not as bright or distracting and put it on along with my gloves,’” the Arizona Department of Transportation wrote on Facebook.
The rescuers had no idea how the kitten got up there in the first place. But one thing was clear: any wrong move, any loud sound, and the tiny fluffball could slip to catastrophic danger.
Then, finally, Benthin managed to wrap an arm around her. In that split second, the rescue turned into a save.
“‘It hissed at me and I reached out with my left hand and put my right arm around it,’ Benthin said. ‘It started to jump off (the ledge) and I was able to grab it,’” ADOT added.
The kitten, later named after her rescue organization, ADOT, was finally safe and sound.
Finally Safe
After making sure ADOT was carefully removed from the dangerous spot, the rescuers transported her to Heidi’s Village.
“We are so grateful to the ADOT hero’s for getting her to safety with us. In honor of her rescue story we have named her ADOT! Stay tuned for updates,” Heidi’s Village shared on Facebook.
It’s safe to say that ADOT is settling into safety, probably for the first time ever. She has warm blankies, a soft bed, and many people around her who love her truly.
ADOT is loved, safe, and thriving in a new environment. While her story began high above a dangerous highway in Arizona, it is now unfolding in a place built for healing.
When the time is right, there’s no doubt that ADOT will be matched with the perfect family.