When John Debacker, an adept rescuer, received a call about an unknown animal stranded in the midst of the bustling Grand Central Parkway in New York City, he immediately recognized the urgency of the situation.
He reached out to his friend, Karenlynn Stracher, for assistance, and together they headed towards the four lanes of heavy traffic, intent on rescuing the animal in distress.
Rescue Operation
Upon arriving at the location, they noticed the animal perched on the center median, clearly distressed.
As they got closer, they discovered it was a cat. Aware of how swiftly cats can flee, John and Karenlynn were cautious in their approach.
With vehicles rushing by on either side, John opted to cover his hands with a blanket and swiftly attempt to capture her, but the frightened cat bolted and dashed away.
John managed to capture the tense rescue on video:
John and Karenlynn were horrified as they saw the cat navigate across the lanes, dodging speeding vehicles. She managed to cross the first two lanes, but became stranded at the third one.
“I immediately jumped the barrier and halted traffic where the cat was found lying in the number 3 lane, still alive, but dazed,” John recounted in a Facebook post.
With no other option, John sprinted towards the frightened cat in the road while Karenlynn went to retrieve a trap from their car.
“I picked her up with all my strength and wrapped her in a blanket…” John mentioned.
Once again, John traversed the highway… this time with the cat cradled in his arms, rushing to Karenlynn, successfully placing her in the cage.
Fortunately and miraculously, the cat appeared uninjured save for the stress she had undergone. Because of this, John chose to name her Miracle.
A Fresh Start
John promptly took Miracle to an emergency veterinary clinic for a full examination. The veterinarian confirmed that she had no injuries and was in excellent health.
John then decided to check Miracle for a microchip, and to his astonishment, she had one.
“It pinpointed over a mile away from where she had been found, allowing us to reunite her with her owners,” John shared with The Dodo.
Miracle, whose true name is Flamingo, was ultimately back in her rightful home after her release from the veterinary clinic upon recovery.
Even though John couldn’t determine how Flamingo ended up on the New York highway, he felt immense joy witnessing her reunion with her family.
Flamingo’s owners are profoundly thankful to John for rescuing their cherished pet, yet John expresses what an incredible experience it was to see numerous drivers stopping on the highway, allowing him to make the rescue.
“Witnessing all lanes of traffic come to a stop for an animal was remarkable, illustrating the compassion of so many people,” John concluded.
