Good Samaritan rescues scared cat from busy freeway

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Good Samaritan Richard Christianson rescued an injured and desperately scared and upset cat from a Tucson, AZ freeway last week and told the story when posting a video of the rescue online.

Richard saved the 2 year old kitty, now named Freeway, from a narrow median strip on I-17 in Tucson on April 9th, where the distraught feline was desperately clawing at a chain link fence.

Richard stepped in after calls to the highway department did not bring help in a timely fashion. One commenter at the Arizona Humane Society’s Facebook page suggested that the cat had been crying for help for hours before the rescue.

Richard tells the kitty, ” I know, baby. I know you’re scared, dehydrated, I know. Can I help you?” as he approaches him to make the rescue, and Freeway continues to meow, asking for help. Richard wrapped kitty in a tee shirt and carried him to his car.

Richard took Freeway to the Arizona Humane Society‘s Sunnyslope Campus in Phoenix, where he had surgery on his jaw and his paws. He is recovering from his traumatic experience in foster care and will be put up for adoption when he is ready.

Based on burns on his front legs, AHS thinks Freeway may have been stuck in a car engine before ending up on the busy road.

Richard posted his video and rescue story at the Facebook page of a group dedicated to helping strays.

AHS posted this update on Freeway at Facebook Sunday: “Thank you to everyone for your well wishes for Freeway, the cat rescued by a caring Good Samaritan! We anticipate he is an American Curl and approximately two years old, but he has no microchip or ID. Freeway has had surgery in AHS’ Second Chance Animal Hospital, a trauma center for injured homeless pets, and is now resting comfortably in a foster hero home where he will remain for at least three weeks. For those interested in potentially adopting Freeway, we have started an adopter list to let people know when he is all healed. We will provide updates and photos of the handsome fellow later this week. Thank you again to the Good Samaritan and all of those who have reached out!”

Richard told the story of Freeway’s rescue in the introduction to his video, which is seen below:

“IM NOT A HEREO, I was presented a situation in life where I had the opportunity to help out a little fury friend who was in a bad jam in which i chose to take part in and help out. I saw this poor thing, I checked on it, I called 911 who told me to call the Humane Society, who told me to call DPS and that DPS would stop traffic and call them to come pick up the cat, I tried jumping the fence, the spikes on top got the best of me, I’m pretty sure FREEWAY KITTY couldn’t get over them either, so I went down to Bethanyhome Rd on ramp to the Black Canyon freeway ( I-17 ) I parked about 10 yards away and approached this poor thing. As you can see ( warning kind of graphic ) the cat’s mouth was bloody from trying to chew it’s way through the fence, it’s paw was raw as you can see in the video it was trying to reach it’s way through the fence as it’s pressed up against the fence in fear of it’s life as cars race pass at a high rate of speed. As soon as I walk up it was talking to me and the rest is in God’s hands. This was Thursday April 9th around 2:45pm I took off my favorite T shirt and wrapped the cat in it, walked back to my truck and place it on the floor board and turned the AC on low and gave it water and took it to the Humane Society located at Sunnyslope Campus [in Phoenix].”

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Karen Harrison Binette

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