A kitten is recovering safely after a terrifying incident on a busy Broward County road left her in the middle of traffic Sunday.
Andrea Rivera was driving behind a pickup truck on Stirling Road when she saw something being thrown from one of the vehicle’s windows. At first, she thought someone had tossed out a piece of trash. It quickly became clear that the object was a small animal.
Rivera watched as the kitten landed in the roadway. She avoided the animal with her vehicle, pulled over and immediately went back to help.
The kitten, later named Enola, was lying on her side and meowing after the fall. Rivera picked her up and rushed her to a veterinary emergency facility to make sure she had not suffered serious injuries.
Despite being thrown from a moving vehicle and landing on the road, Enola did not have any broken bones or other severe injuries. Rivera eventually decided to give the kitten a permanent home.
“She’s so sweet. I couldn’t have asked for a better cat,” Rivera said.
Rivera also described Enola as playful and affectionate despite what happened to her. The kitten’s recovery has given the driver another reason to speak about the importance of giving unwanted animals a safe alternative rather than abandoning them.
Florida animal cruelty rules are also changing
Enola’s rescue comes as Florida prepares to put additional animal-cruelty provisions into effect on October 1.
Under the new provisions, an adult who causes or entices a minor to commit aggravated animal cruelty, or commits that offense in the presence of a minor, can face a third-degree felony. Juvenile offenders who commit covered animal-cruelty offenses must undergo a psychological evaluation, with counseling or treatment required if recommended by the juvenile court.
The changes also expand information that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement must make available through its searchable animal-cruelty offender database. The information can include an offender’s name and aliases, date of birth, county of conviction, charges, case information and booking photograph. The length of time information remains posted depends on the type and history of the conviction.
Florida law separately defines aggravated animal cruelty as intentionally causing an animal’s cruel death or excessive or repeated unnecessary pain or suffering.
The circumstances surrounding the person who allegedly threw Enola from the truck were not detailed in the available information.
For Rivera, the most immediate concern was much simpler: getting the frightened kitten out of traffic and somewhere safe.
Enola survived an incident that could easily have ended differently. She now has a home and, according to Rivera, is settling into life as a playful and affectionate cat.
