A tiny black kitten led a Hillsborough County sheriff's deputy on a merry chase along the median of Interstate 275 southbound. As cars whipped by, the deputy finally managed to rescue the kitten, with an assist from the Florida Highway Patrol.
On Sept. 8, deputies spotted the 5-week-old kitten "stranded and in distress," according to a Facebook post. Multiple attempts to capture the frightened creature failed. “My precious baby! Oh my goodness. It’s OK,” the deputy can be heard saying on her bodycam as cars whipped by on the busy highway. “No, no, no, don’t run out in traffic.”
An FHP trooper arrived to help, without much luck. The deputy finally caught the kitten and lifted it to safety. A Good Samaritan, Donna Watson, who had called it in, was
nearby to thank the deputies.
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Watch a Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputy catch a kitten on I-275
What happened to the kitten on the Florida highway?
The kitten, now called Dash, has been adopted by the responding deputy's family and is "living his best life," the HCSO said.
In a follow-up post, the HCSO said Dash has a great appetite, "loves watching himself online and loves all of his supporters!"
The HCSO suggested Dash could be a contender for the sheriff's office K-9 unit as their first "tactical kitty" once "he's big enough."
C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Watch Florida deputy chase, save tiny, feisty kitten on highway
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