OUTAGAMIE COUNTY (NBC 26) — The Outagamie County Highway Department has been honored with a PETA award after saving 12 cats from a hot van in Little Chute.
According to a press release from PETA, a Compassionate Action Award is on its way to the department for rescuing the cats from an abandoned van off I‑41 at County Highway N last month.
Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson said four highway workers spotted the van on a day when temperatures neared 90 degrees. They immediately acted, opening the vehicle and alerting authorities so the cats could be taken to a shelter.
“Animals left alone in parked cars are in danger every minute they are trapped in the heat, but these cats are now safe and recovering thanks to the quick thinking and compassionate action of the Outagamie County Highway Department,” says PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA encourages everyone to be a hero for animals by always keeping an eye out and taking immediate action when they see an animal trapped in a hot car.”
