Thankfully, this kitten didn’t have to learn what it was like to cross the road after being left on the side of a highway in New Hyde Park.
On Friday, June 20, a Nassau County Highway Patrol Bureau Officer picked up a kitten he found sitting on the side of the Long Island Expressway around westbound exit 34 near the village.
When driving on the expressway around 1 p.m. on Friday, the officer said he noticed a kitten in the middle of the road. He activated his emergency lights to stop traffic, then got out of his vehicle to rescue the kitten, which he said remained unharmed.
“Police work can be a dangerous and grueling job, and the men and women of the Nassau County Police Department risk their lives every day to keep our communities safe,” Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said. “But this job also has its lighter moments that bring us all joy when we get to help those in need, especially this little kitten. We are proud of the actions of this officer and his dedication to protecting everyone in Nassau County, even our furry friends.”
The officer, who did not want to be identified by name, took the kitten to the Hempstead Animal Shelter for treatment and assessment.
On Tuesday, the shelter said the kitten had been released to a local rescue group.
Mike Spiotta, the director of shelter operations for the North Shore Animal League America, advises people to proceed with caution when picking up stray animals, particularly if they happen to see a litter of young kittens in an area that seems generally hospitable for them.
“There might be a litter of kittens that mom has left and is going to find food and will come back to. She may not be with them all day long, so that’s something to keep in mind,” Spiotta said. “If you disturb really young kittens, the mom may not want to come near them, or could be scared off, and you could jeopardize their ability to survive.”
In other cases, like if a person sees an animal they feel is clearly abandoned or is sick or injured, he recommends people proceed with caution in picking it up to avoid causing the animal to run away or lash out. It could also be helpful to call a local animal control center or the police for assistance.
If the person is able to catch the animal, he suggests they take it to a local municipal animal shelter or veterinary office so that it can be found by a possible owner, checked for a microchip and helped if sick or injured.
If taking the animal to a vet’s office, Spiotta said a person should be prepared to potentially be financially liable for the stray’s care expenses, as only some veterinary practices will treat strays pro bono.
Spiotta said a person should only take a stray animal into their own home if they are able to separate it from other pets they have living with them or ensure it is checked by a veterinarian first to avoid the animal hurting or spreading disease to a household pet.
“It’s a case-by-case situation,” he said. “But, if you do find an animal outside, generally, the first thing you really should do is contact your municipal shelter in the area, because if someone potentially lost a pet, that’s who they’re going to contact first to let them know that they’re missing their pet.”
The website of the Humane World for Animals, the international non-profit formerly known as the Humane Society, provides more information on what to do with strays.
