Freeway recovers at his foster home. Photo courtesy of Arizona Humane Society.
(Look below to watch the heart-stopping and dramatic cat rescue. Spoiler alert: It’s a happy ending.)
In our own personal movie called “Life,” we never really know from minute-to-minute what role we’ll play. When something extraordinary occurred, and Richard Christianson was offered a choice between the part of either the protagonist or an extra lost within the crowd, he rose to the occasion became an unexpected hero.
Last week, as Richard Christianson of Phoenix exited northbound Interstate 17, he passed a chain link fence mounted atop cement barriers. Is that a cat?
Unlike thousands of passersby over six hours, Richard stopped. To his shock, he found an orange and white American Curl clutching the cyclone fence.
“I thought someone hit him so hard he flew into the fence cuz he had blood all over.”
The American Curl’s mouth and legs were bloody and a paw reached through the wire, a frantic, but fruitless attempt to escape. His jaw was injured by his attempt to chew through the fence.
As traffic hurried past him, Richard called 9-1-1. They said to call the Arizona Humane Society. The humane society told him to contact Department of Public Safety. DPS said they’d received several calls over the last two or three hours about cat. They’d send a unit out. But when? Every minute that went by, Richard himself grew hotter. He knew that the cat too must be sweltering. By the time DPS eventually made to the scene, the injured cat might have already died.
“He was crying for me. He was reaching for me,” Richard says. Someone had to do something.
Richard, who works as a stagehand for conventions, concerts and locally-performed Broadway plays, tried to jump the fence, but couldn’t without impaling himself on the spikes at the top. He ran to his car. Like General MacArthur, he would return.
He circled around, once again heading northbound on the expressway, and pulled over 20 feet past the cat.
“Nobody’s doing their job,” he says. Angry that all official channels had abandoned the cat, Richard recorded the rescue with his cell phone. “Never did I think anyone would consider me a hero.”
“He was crying for me,” Richard recalls. “He was pressed up so hard against the wire; he was reaching up through the fence.”
Soft food just like the doctor ordered. photo courtesy of Arizona Humane Society.
When Richard saw his bloody jaw and paws, he cried, “Oh my God!” He approached the cat slowly, speaking calmly. When Richard stood next to the pathetic creature, the kitty continued crying, but released his death-grip on the fence and faced his rescuer.
“When he pulled his paw away from the fence, it was like he was saying to me, “Okay, just take me.”
Richard made the not-so-hard decision to sacrifice his favorite shirt, a signed M.C. Magic Rewired t-shirt.
“I wrapped my shirt around him; He just went limp and started purring.”
While the stray was out of harms way, he wasn’t out of danger. Richard still feared Freeway, as he dubbed the cat, might die before he could take him to to the Arizona Humane Society (AHS). This time the shelter came through. They rushed the two-year old kitty into surgery.
Bretta Nelson, spokesperson for AHS, said Freeway had severe trauma: broken teeth, necrotic mouth tissue, he had burns to the pads of his feet. While it was touch and go, Freeway is stable. He is receiving pain medication and antibiotics. He’s on soft food, but the great news is “he’s eating like a little piggy according to his foster mom.” After a meal he likes to cuddle.
“It’s not about me,” Richard insists. “It’s about Freeway.”
Richard remains saddened that the pathetic cat clung to the fence for more than six hours without anyone bothering to help him.
Richard wants people to get involved. “People should be aware of their surroundings. When you see an animal who needs help, don’t assume someone else is going to help. You help him.”
“I was so pissed off at DPS. That’s why I shared the video.”
Richard believes “everything happens for a reason. I could have taken a different exit, but I didn’t. This is a blessing in disguise [for Freeway.] He was hurt, but his life is going to be way different now. He’s going to be okay.”
Can’t a guy get a little sleep around here? Photo courtesy of Arizona Humane Society.
Richard’s been surprised by all of the attention he’s received. A week ago, he had 300 Facebook friends; since Freeway’s rescue his followers have swelled to over 1500…and still growing.
Over $1600 in donations have been given on Freeway’s behalf. “God bless you all,” he says to the people who donated to Freeways care. “Now that Freeway is in safe hands, he’s worried about the other animals who still need help. He’s thinking about starting the Freeway Foundation to help out stray animals with medical needs.
Bretta says people can make donations to help with Freeway’s mounting medical bills at www.Azhumane.org.
When something extraordinary occurs in your life, ask yourself will you choose the part of the hero or will you simply be a faceless extra lost in the apathetic crowd? I hope you’ll choose to help. Following Richard’s example, I’m certainly going to stop.
Photo courtesy of Arizona Humane Society.
I saw this yesterday and I can’t believe how brave this young man was. It is dangerous to stop on the freeway, but the courage to help another being in need is worth so much more than whatever it is that is so important that you can’t stop.
I can’t believe this. By far the most touching thing I’ve seen on the web. I too , at only 18 want to do anything to save animals. Anything… This guy is such a hero. So happy Freeways safe and getting better!
You have noble goals, Lindsey. Write them down and don’t forget them. The world also needs people like you.
This man is most definitely a hero!
Great job Richard! I have two orange tabbies and it broke my heart to hear him crying