Mike Cardin, a Lakeland police officer in Polk County, Florida, was working his night shift on Saturday night when he learned of a lovely cat that was utterly alone behind a light post near a major intersection. Cardin instantly scooped up the kitty and drove her to the station.
The cage was too big for her, so the officer put her in a cardboard box until animal control arrived to pick it up, but then Sergeant Brian Wallance took his turn.
Wallace decided to keep the station’s newest inhabitant company throughout his shift since, for some reason, he couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her alone.
Wallace explained to The Dodo:
“I arrived at the station soon after Cardin had rescued her and went to check how she was doing. There she was, alone and terrified, and I simply couldn’t leave her in that box for maybe 10 more hours, only for animal control to take her away.”
Wallace put the cat on his lap while working at the desk, and while she was first terrified and nervous, she eventually decided to settle down and looked to be extremely comfortable with Wallace.
The cop had to go out on patrol, but that didn’t mean he’d abandon his new acquaintance.
The officer took in the kitten.Wallace stated,
“I took the box and placed it on the front passenger seat of my patrol car, where it stayed for the rest of the night.”
Wallace and the kitten established a strong bond during the shift, and when it came time to part ways, he realized he couldn’t let her go.
Wallace chose to adopt her and gave her the name Kelsey. She is settling in nicely to her new surroundings, and her favorite area of the house is, of course, where her new father is, since he has quickly become her favorite person and best friend.
Wallace stated,
“She is quite loving; it’s almost as if she understood she was given a decent chance of surviving despite being so young and close to severe traffic.”