Right before Christmas Joe R., a correction officer, brought his car in for an oil change, but what he didn't know was that his life would be changed forever that day.
ASPCA Animal Care Technician Mariah Bullock with Joe and Baby | Photo by ASPCAAs he was waiting for his car, another car pulled in. When the hood was popped open, they couldn't believe what they found - a ginger cat hiding next to the engine block, frightened and covered in filth.
Joe went to check on the cat and helped to get her out. The kitty kept meowing as he was trying to free her with help from a mechanic. "After a little work, I removed her," Joe told ASPCA.
"It's like she just fell into my lap and said, 'Take me, take me,'" Joe told the NY Daily News. "Because it's Christmas, it makes everything much more special."
Once he got the kitty out, she was calm but very hungry. Joe didn't hesitate for a second and took the kitten with him to get help.
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Where the kitten was found.
Photo by Joe RodriguezThey christened the six-month-old kitten 'Baby'. The next day, they took her to the ASPCA (in New York), where Joe adopted his previous cat, and found out that Baby would need extensive medical help for her injuries.
Dr. Janice Fenichel of the ASPCA Animal Hospital took the kitten into her care and fixed her broken jaw and got her spayed. Joe was moved by Baby's resilience and adopted her on the Christmas Eve, so she could spend her Christmas day in her forever loving home.
Christmas came early for Joe and his family. They are so happy to have Baby this holiday season as no gift could be greater.
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