It was a typical traffic stop for Officer McGuire, a policeman with the Henrico County Police in Virginia. He had pulled a driver over for speeding when out of the corner of his eye he saw something small dart across the busy I-64 highway. It was a tiny kitten, and it needed rescue before it was hit by a car and killed.
McGuire sprang into action. The Henrico County Police spokesman described the operation and accompanying video on their Facebook page: "During a recent traffic stop, Henrico Police Officer McGuire noticed a frightened kitten running through the center grassy median of I-64. Without hesitation, McGuire walked towards the kitten – careful not to scare it into traffic."
The kitten had run to a pile of straw and was trying to hide in it. McGuire approached the kitten carefully, not wanting to frighten it back into the road.​
He gently picked up the kitten who fought him, scratching and biting. McGuire gritted his teeth, then headed back to the car he had pulled over, kitten in his hands. "You know what ma'am," Officer McGuire is heard saying on the police cam video. "Here's your license back. You're good to go, OK. Just make sure you slowdown."
With the driver gone, McGuire could focus on taking care of the little kitten. He took a towel from the back of his police cruiser and wrapped it around the kitten, telling the cat that everything would be okay. "It's OK. I know, buddy. It's OK," McGuire said to the frightened kitten. "I gotta buckle up with ya."
McGuire took the kitten to the Henrico County Animal Protection, and there the kitten received a full veterinary exam and will wait to be adopted. The police department noted that "The kitten is still in the waiting period where they hold it to see if the owner claims it while they monitor its health and temperament before they can adopt an animal out."
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Thanks to this compassionate police officer, the little kitten has a chance to live a long, happy life. Three cheers for Officer McGuire! Watch the video of the rescue here, then share this story with your family and friends on Facebook