Kitten thrown from car on I-10 in Phoenix will be adopted

An Arizona Department of Transportation incident response officer helped a woman rescue a kitten on Interstate 10 in Phoenix.

ADOT employee and animal lover Rich Dimaio was driving along I-10 in west Phoenix on Nov. 6 when he noticed a woman on the side of the road trying to catch a kitten. He stopped to help the woman.

The woman was able to catch the kitten and wrap it in a towel, ADOT said in a press release. She told Dimaio that the kitten was thrown out of the window of the car in front of her. The kitten crashed into the front of the woman’s car and suffered minor injuries.

According to ADOT, Dimaio took the kitten to the Arizona Humane Society, where he was cared for and named Martin. After two weeks, Martin felt well and was ready to be adopted as a working cat.

The Arizona Humane Society has working cat program for cats that are considered unsuitable for indoor living but still need a permanent home. Cats adopted through this program are often adopted by people with barns or storage units who need a furry friend to help with pest problems.

Dimaio is no stranger to animal rescue on Phoenix freeways. Earlier this year, a 4-year-old German shepherd ran out of traffic on I-17 during morning rush hour, according to ADOT.

ADOT said Dimaio, with the help of a Department of Public Safety trooper, used a breakfast sandwich to lure the dog to safety. Dimaio took her to the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control Center, promising to adopt her if she was not claimed.

The dog, now named Freya, was adopted by Dimaio and his family.

ADOT urged people who are unable or unwilling to care for an animal to never throw it out of a moving car window.

AHS referred to similar incident in 2019 when a kitten was thrown out of a car window on Highway 60 in Mesa. Luckily, a Good Samaritan rescued the cat and caught the attention of a traffic police officer, who took the kitten to an animal hospital for treatment before putting him up for adoption.