Couple Journeys Over 1,000 Miles To Save “Urgent-List” Kitten From Euthanasia

Written by: Adri Sandoval
Adri Sandoval is the Special Projects Manager for iHeartDogs and iHeartCats. Her work has deepened her love for animals, fostering a strong passion for rescue and animal advocacy.Read more
| Published on November 14, 2016

Love makes us do crazy things. So when Therese Miata fell in love with a black kitten named Ricky in danger of being euthanized, she decided that she’d do anything to take him home.

The thing is, Ricky was located at Orange County Animal Services (OCAS) in Florida; the couple lives in New York.

So Miata and husband Thomas Sakalis left their basement apartment and flew over 1,000 miles in order to make the little black kitten part of their 5-cat clan. They arrived in Florida just in time, on the morning of the day that Ricky was scheduled to be euthanized.

A photo posted by Saving OC Kitties (@savingockitties) on

Poor Ricky, at only a month old, had been left all alone at the shelter following his sibling’s adoption. But little did he know, his luck was about to change–and he would soon be joining 5 feline brothers and sisters in his new home!

A photo posted by Saving OC Kitties (@savingockitties) on

But there was one more hitch; Ricky had developed an upper respiratory infection, so he could not safely fly on a plane. So despite lacking sleep in their rush to retrieve the kitty, Miata and Sakalis happily agreed to extend their trip by renting a car and driving home, instead.

“Our one-day rescue mission became a weekend adoption road trip,” wrote Miata on Instagram, according to WFTV9.

What a caring couple! It looks like Ricky will never have to worry about being without a family again. When things are meant to be, they always work out – and we wish them all the best for the future!

(h/t: WFTV9)