When two Companions For Life volunteers left downtown Dallas late one Saturday morning heading home, they never dreamed what they would find along the way. Just south of Royal in the northbound lanes of the tollway, they spotted a tiny kitten. Just feet from the fast lane, she was lodged up against the retaining wall along the shoulder of the road. The volunteers quickly turned around and headed back to try and help. Luckily, the kitten was still there, huddled in a ball and frozen with fear. Terrified the kitten would panic and bolt out into traffic, one of the volunteers jumped out of the car and quickly scooped her up. She was filthy and in shock, and apparently had been out on the road for hours. She had a cut across her face and her paws were bloody from trying to claw her way through the concrete retaining wall to safety.
Both volunteers were experienced rescuers and knew they needed to act quickly. They took the frightened kitten and set her up in a quiet, warm, seldom-used bedroom in what would become her foster home. Traumatized by her ordeal, Jenny, as she is now known, did not at first respond to anyone, but instead hid and refused to interact at all. Days went by and although she did begin to eat, the foster volunteer’s kindness and attempts to comfort her were met with only cold, empty stares. But the foster never gave up, and after spending hours reading aloud and trying to comfort the unresponsive kitten, love and patience finally won out and Jenny began to respond. Sensing she was finally safe, Jenny gained confidence slowly but steadily each day. Finally out of hiding, she began to put her ordeal behind her and quickly became a sweet, affectionate companion.
Eventually Jenny went up for adoption through Take Me Home Pet Rescue. Now bigger, braver, and gaining weight, the once scrawny kitten’s stunning beauty and gentle personality are evident in the glamorous photos created for Petfinder (see the slideshow below). Within a few days of her first adoption event, a good friend of the volunteer who had first spotted her on the tollway six weeks earlier met Jenny, fell in love, and adopted her. Jenny now has her own loving home, a happy-go-lucky kitty friend named Molly, two canine buddies, and a family that adores her. And Jenny and her foster mom still get to see each other often. It is unlikely either will ever forget that fateful day on the tollway and the happy ending for all involved.
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