A California Highway Patrol officer rescued a tiny kitten named Lucky from a busy highway and never expected to become her future cat dad. What began as a dangerous encounter on US-101 near Summerland soon turned into an unexpected friendship, with Officer Foster preparing to welcome the little feline into his family permanently.
The kitten had been spotted in the No. 3 lane of northbound US-101, surrounded by the danger of passing traffic. Officer Foster stopped vehicles so he could safely reach her, and with help from a member of the public, he brought her out of harm’s way. At first, the goal was simply to get the little cat somewhere safe and find out whether she had a family looking for her.
A Tiny Kitten Gets a Second Chance on US-101
The rescue began when Officer Foster noticed the small cat in an active traffic lane near Summerland. With vehicles traveling along the highway, the kitten was in a place where even a brief delay could have put her in greater danger. Officer Foster stopped traffic and rescued the kitten before she was struck by a passing vehicle. A helpful member of the public assisted, and together they made sure the little traveler could be taken to safety.
The kitten was brought to the California Highway Patrol’s Santa Barbara office before being transported to Santa Barbara County Animal Services. There, she was kept safe while officers worked to identify her family.
Since her real name was unknown, the officers began calling her Lucky. It was a fitting temporary name for a kitten who had been discovered in such a dangerous location and reached safety thanks to someone who happened to spot her. The CHP Santa Barbara office also shared her story publicly, asking anyone who recognized the kitten to contact animal services. At that point, her future was still uncertain, but she was no longer facing the hazards of the highway.
The Officer Who Saved Her Couldn’t Say Goodbye
What happened after the rescue brought an even sweeter development to Lucky’s story. Officer Foster, the same person who had stopped traffic to save her, decided to foster the little kitten himself.
Instead of simply remaining the officer who helped her reach safety, he became the person caring for her while her next chapter unfolded. The CHP Santa Barbara office later shared that Foster had grown so attached to the kitten that he was planning to adopt her.
There was another adorable change, too. Lucky had received a brand-new name from the officer who rescued her, and she was now being called Scooby. The new name came with news of a possible permanent home. According to the department’s follow-up announcement, Foster intended to make the adoption official the following week.
For a kitten who had first been found alone in a highway traffic lane, being fostered by her rescuer was already a remarkable change in circumstances. Now, she had someone who wanted to make their relationship permanent.
From Highway Rescue to a Forever Home
The department celebrated Scooby’s new beginning in a follow-up update, thanking the member of the public who helped during the rescue and everyone who contributed to the kitten’s second chance. The story also came with an important reminder about pet safety. CHP Santa Barbara urged people never to abandon animals along highways or roadways and encouraged anyone unable to care for a pet to seek assistance from animal shelters or local animal services.
The department did not establish how Scooby originally ended up on the highway, so her circumstances before the rescue remain unknown. What is clear is that Officer Foster’s quick response brought her to safety and eventually led to him becoming her foster caregiver.
At the time of the latest shared update, Scooby’s official adoption was still planned for the following week. But one thing had already changed: the officer who first met her in the middle of US-101 was now caring for her and hoping to become her permanent family.
This content was created with AI assistance and edited by the iHeartCats team.