HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV/Gray News) – A Harrisonburg police officer ended up making a new four-legged friend when responding to a call.
WHSV reports that a couple of weeks ago someone had thrown a kitten from a vehicle.
A resident called 911 about the cat and scooped up the animal. They brought it home but couldn’t keep it or take it to an animal shelter.
A Harrisonburg police officer has taken in a kitten that was found abandoned.(Timothy Rugg)
That’s when Officer Timothy Rugg was called and went to the person’s home to help get the kitten to the shelter.
“She was hiding under a couch. I reached under and got her. She immediately crawled onto my shoulder and perched onto it like a parrot and started purring,” Rugg said.
But when he got to the SPCA to drop the kitten off, Rugg said he “just couldn’t let her go.”
Rugg added, “I just felt like she wanted to be with me. I thought I was a dog person, but we just kind of bonded immediately and I just knew I had to take her with me,” he said.
The officer ended up taking the kitten home and named her Penny. He said she has settled into her new home nicely.
“She was super scared when I got her, but now she’s just super active. I’m having to arrange my entire apartment just to make it safe for curious Penny,” Rugg said.
And while Officer Rugg has helped Penny find a safe and loving home, he noted that she has helped him a lot too.
“She’s definitely making my days better and helping me relax. She’s great,” Rugg said.
He never expected to gain a new four-legged friend while out on the job, but he’s glad he did.
“I have to be careful to not go on too many similar calls. Otherwise, I’ll have a house full of cats,” Rugg said.