When a complaint came in about a little cat strolling alone near a dangerous intersection, the evening shift at the Lakeland Police Department had barely begun. Officer Mike Cardin was dispatched to investigate, and he discovered the cat curled beneath a light post, inches from Saturday night traffic. He was able to swiftly grab the thankful kitty and return to the station with her.

The kennel at the station was much too big (and thus very escapable) for the little kitten, so Officer Cardin fashioned her a cardboard box and then put that box in the kennel. The kitten was supposed to wait there until animal control could come and pick her up — but then Sergeant Brian Wallace started his shift.

As soon as Wallace learned of the newest station resident, he decided to keep her company during his shift, because for some reason, he just couldn’t bring himself to leave her alone.

Wallace told The Dodo, “I came to the station soon after Cardin had secured her and proceeded to check on her.” “Here she was, all alone and terrified.” I couldn’t keep her in that box for another 10 hours just to have animal control take her away because it wasn’t long after the shift started.”

Wallace held the little kitten on his lap while he worked at his desk, and while she was initially very frightened and unsure about what was going on, the longer she sat on Wallace’s lap, the more comfortable she seemed to get.

Wallace had to go out on patrol after a while, and he brought the kitten with him.

“I put the package in the passenger seat of my patrol car, facing me,” Wallace explained. “She stayed there for the remainder of the night… she didn’t seem to mind, to be honest.”

Wallace and the cat stayed together for the duration of his shift, and when it ended, he realized he wasn’t ready to let her go.

Sergeant Wallace called the cat Kelsey and adopted her as his own.

“That little face… “I was finished,” Wallace said.
Kelsey has made herself at home with Sergeant Wallace and is adjusting nicely. She’s still getting acclimated to living in a comfortable house rather than on the streets, and she’s enjoying every new perk she’s been given.

Her favorite aspect of her house is, of course, her wonderful new father, who is already her best buddy.