A tiny stray kitten in Oregon found an unexpected way to become the new mascot of a search and rescue team after surviving a 15-mile journey inside the wheel well of one of their trucks.
On August 12, Lindsey Lohr and Greg Wood, volunteers with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team, discovered the kitten after hearing faint meows during a routine exercise. “I’ve been volunteering for 20 years, and this is the first time something like this has happened,” Wood told KOIN News.
Initially, a K-9 unit on the scene alerted deputies to what they believed was a rodent trapped inside the truck. The search and rescue team requested a fleet technician to inspect the vehicle. However, the inspection was delayed as the team was dispatched on a mission to Vista House in the Columbia River Gorge, over a dozen miles away.
During the trip, the kitten endured a harrowing ride as the truck sped down the freeway for over 10 miles and navigated the winding road to the call location. Once at their destination, while most volunteers set off on their mission, two stayed behind to carefully disassemble the truck’s wheel well. That’s when they discovered the little black kitten.
“It wasn’t until we used a flashlight and climbed up into the engine that we finally saw her,” Lohr explained. Wood added, “We just saw this tiny head pop up and heard a little ‘meow.'”
The kitten, now named “Vista” after the location where she was found, has since found a new home with one of the deputies. After battling fleas and a cold, Vista has been given a clean bill of health and is settling into her new life.
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