Posted on Thursday 13th July 2023
Sam Ward with rescued kitten
Four kittens found hiding under bins at a Staffordshire recycling centre have found their purrfect forever homes after being rescued by staff.
The kittens, who are all around four weeks old, were found sleeping rough underneath the waste bins at Stone Recycling Centre.
Found scared, alone and weak, staff realised their mother had sadly been run over a short distance away along the main road.
Now, the hard-up siblings - Meekz, Skips, Sassy and Dave - have found loving homes with the very staff who rescued them.
Team Leader Sam Ward and his team at the county council’s Stone Recycling centre pounced into action when they noticed the kittens moving under the bins and hatched a plan to safely catch them.
Using a humane trap baited with irresistible sardines, all the kittens were safely rescued within a few days.
Unsurprisingly, the team has fallen in love with the tenacious balls of fluff, and they have opted to care for them themselves.
Sam and his colleague Jake have each adopted one of the kittens, and their teammate Martin couldn't help but take home two.
"We're so glad that we were able to rescue these kittens," said Sam. "They were lucky to escape being crushed by bins or run over by a digger. We're not just recycling heroes; we're kitten heroes too!"
Mark Deaville, Cabinet Member for Commercial at Staffordshire County Council said:
“I’m sure when the team clocked in for their work, the last thing they would have imagined doing that day was helping rescue a family of orphaned kittens.
“It’s a heart-warming story and reminds us that even in the midst of a busy and hectic day, there is always time to do something kind. Thanks to the team’s quick thinking and action and compassion there’s a purr-fect ending to the story.”