Animal lovers share their stories of how they prevented animal abuse. We hope their stories inspire you as much as they inspire us.
Bob, Wisconsin
Rescued Kitten Trapped in Pickup Truck Engine
My friend Bob is a manager at a big, busy, modern hardware store in southwest Wisconsin. One warm day not long ago a customer raced into the store and excitedly told him that there was the sound of a kitten yowling loudly inside a pickup truck. Bob didn't hesitate; he ran out to investigate. He heard the frantic kitten too—sounds coming from inside a wheel well. But he couldn't see the kitten.
Bob hurried back to the store. He told a staffer to call the humane society and the police. He asked another to try to find the owner of the vehicle. Then he grabbed his tools and hurried back to the truck. He crawled under the truck and got to work. He found the kitten. Now, how to get it out safely?
Soon the animal control officer showed up, as did a patrolman. A television station crew showed up too alerted by a report on police radio scanner!
Meanwhile, Bob freed the kitten and handed the little wiggling critter up to the animal control officer. The TV crew interviewed them; the segment aired that afternoon and evening. The kitten went to the humane society for examination and care, and would later be adopted.
I love this true story. In a world where cats are so often devalued, there are ordinary people who will urgently do everything in their power to save a helpless kitten.
Submit Your Story!
To submit your story, please email us at IFoughtCruelty@aspca.org. If your story is chosen, it will be featured on our website. Please include:
- Your full name and e-mail address.
- Your story—please include the month and year the animal was rescued, what happened and how he/she has changed since the rescue. Feel free to include some funny quirks about his/her personality as well.
- Up to three photos in JPG format.
- Please write "I Fought Cruelty" in the subject line.