Four Outagamie County Highway Department workers in Wisconsin rescued a dozen cats from an abandoned car on a 90-degree day. The felines had been left in a vehicle parked off Interstate 41 in Little Chute, with no one stopping to help them. The workers were the only drivers who didn’t speed past the cats in distress.
County Executive Tom Nelson announced the rescue in a Facebook post praising the employees. According to Nelson, several other people had just driven past the car. The either crossed to the other side of the road or otherwise declined to get close at all before the highway crew did. He didn’t specify how long the cats had been in the vehicle.
The crew opened the car, alerted the authorities. and then drove the 12 cats to the Fox Valley Humane Association in nearby Appleton. The animals were checked over by the humane society staff. Many of them, after being given a clean bill of health, have already found new homes.
How an abandoned car came to be parked off the highway with a dozen cats inside is not addressed in the county’s account. What is addressed is the question of where the cats are now. They are at a humane society next to an airport, and they have a nickname.
What the Highway Crew Found
According to a social media post from Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson, four county highway workers came across the abandoned car off Interstate 41 at County Highway N in Little Chute earlier this week. The day’s temperatures had been pushing 90 degrees outside, with sealed vehicles warming further. The workers found a dozen cats sealed inside when they made their stop.
The four workers quickly took the cats out and drove the animals to the Fox Valley Humane Association in Appleton. There were no details shared about how the cats could have gotten into the vehicle in the first place.
The Fate of the Cats
Nelson credited the highway workers for what they’d done in the Facebook post that brought the rescue to wider attention. He framed the workers’ decision to stop as a positive against all the drivers who opted not to. Because of their kindness, the cats are alive today and can have new lives.
The animal shelter has asked anyone interested in adopting the rest of the cats that may be available to stop by or call ahead and ask for the “Outagamie County highway cats.” While they’re likely all gone at the time of posting, if you’re looking to bring one home, it’s worth asking.