A complaint about a little cat walking alone close to a major junction came in as the Lakeland Police Department’s evening shift was just getting started.
Officer Mike Cardin was dispatched to investigate, and when he arrived, he discovered the cat snuggled up beneath a lamp post, inches from Saturday night traffic. Quickly catching the appreciative kitty, he carried
The kennel at the station was much too big (and thus very escapable) for the little kitten, so Officer Cardin fashioned her a cardboard box and then put that box in the kennel. The kitten was supposed to wait there until animal control could come and pick her up — but then Sergeant Brian Wallace started his shift.
As soon as Wallace learned of the newest station resident, he decided to keep her company during his shift, because for some reason, he just couldn’t bring himself to leave her alone.
Wallace told The Dodo, “I came to the station soon after Cardin had secured her and proceeded to check on her.” Here she was, scared and alone. Since it was still early in the shift, I just could not leave her in that box for another 10 hours just to have animal control remove her.
Wallace held the little kitten on his lap while he worked at his desk, and while she was initially very frightened and unsure about what was going on, the longer she sat on Wallace’s lap, the more comfortable she seemed to get.
After a while it was time for Wallace to go out on patrol — and so he took the kitten with him for that, too.
Wallace claimed, “I took the box she was initially in and put it in the passenger seat of my police car, facing me. She remained there for the remainder of the evening and didn’t seem to mind, I may add.
Wallace spent the entirety of his shift with the kitten, and after it was over, he realized he wasn’t ready to let her go.
And so, Sergeant Wallace adopted the kitten as his own, and named her Kelsey.
“That little face … I was done,” Wallace said.
Kelsey has successfully adapted and is currently at home with Sergeant Wallace. She’s still getting accustomed to living in a comfortable house rather being on the streets, and she’s savoring every new convenience that comes her way. Of course, her fantastic new dad, who is already her closest buddy, is her favorite aspect of
“She’s quite affectionate,” Wallace said. “It’s almost like she realizes she was given a decent chance at surviving after being feet away from heavy traffic and on her own at so young.”
