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Thanks to a compassionate police officer, a bereaved elderly man has a new feline friend, and a shelter kitty has found a home.
A police officer in Cedar Rapids, Iowa found the perfect new kitty for a man living at an independent living facility whose cat died in a tragic accident at home.
Dale Attwood was left feeling shaken and bereft after a freak accident in the home took the life of his beloved cat and closest companion, Dolly, who he got shortly after moving into the facility in 2009.
“She loved getting on my lap,” Dale said. “She’ll lay her little head there and lay her paws on my hand.”
One day not long ago, Dale sat in his recliner chair, only to find that Dolly had climbed underneath and up inside. Realizing his little friend was trapped and hurting, Dale called the Cedar Rapids police department and officer Andrew Tran responded to the call.
“I go into his apartment and he had the recliner tipped to the side,” Officer Tran said. “It looked like he had made some efforts to remove bolts and screws from the recliner.”
Sadly, it was too late for Dolly. The police officer called the fire department, who removed Dolly’s body from the recliner. Dale was in such a state of distress that he was taken to the hospital by ambulance.
Officer Tran was touched by Dale’s grief and loss and set out to do something to help the elderly man.
“I felt bad, I felt real bad.” Dale said.
“I wanted Dale to have a seat,” Officer Tran said. “I know he’s got a lot of love for Dolly, there’s pictures of Dolly on his walls, and I quickly realized this is family to him.”
“He called me one day and told me he would help get a kitty for me,” Dale said. “And I told him I’d love to have a black one, just like Dolly.”
After several days worth of phone calls and a visit to the shelter, the purrfect cat was found, and the police officer showed up at Dale’s door the following Monday, despite a snowstorm, with a black and white tuxie cat.
“He was needing to fill a void from his recent loss,” Officer Tran said.
“This kitty really took over,” Dale said.
Dale has named the new kitty Frosty the Snowman, and he told KCRG hannel 9 that she has already settled into her new home.
Officer Tran plans to stay in touch with Dale and Frosty.
Watch the KCRG Channel 9 report: We get the sad story of Dolly’s accident but also see Frosty frolicking in her new home.
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