NEW ORLEANS — The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development rescued a kitten that was stuck between two bridge joints on the Westbank Expressway Tuesday morning.
The kitten was originally spotted on Monday evening. Firefighters attempted to rescue it then but were unsuccessful.
The LA DOTD was inspecting the bridge when they heard the kitten meowing. Bridge Engineer David Brasset and his team spotted the kitten and after several attempts to coax the kitten out, the Jefferson Protection & Animal Welfare Services Humane Division was called out.
DOTD and JPAWS tried using food to get the kitten out. After several hours, a DOTD employee was able to nudge the kitten to be carried to safety.
“I am extremely proud of our team who showed compassion and went above and beyond to serve their community,” said Scott Boyle, LA DOTD Assistant District Administrator of Operations. “The Department’s functions are the maintenance, operation, and development of our roadways, but there are times where special situations arise and DOTD employees are tasked beyond their usual scope of work. It is in those moments when our employees come together for the common good of our citizens and State.”
The kitten has been examined by a veterinarian and is expected to be okay.
Meanwhile, in Slidell, two more kittens were also saved after being stuck in various predicaments of their own, per the St. Tammany Fire Protection District #1.
In one case, a kitten was trapped in a catch basin, near the Huntwyck Subdivision in Slidell. Earlier in the day, another one was saved after being stuck in in the front portion of a vehicle.
Those kittens are being examined by local veterinarians.