Kittens in the Subway

The news story reports that the New York subway system shut down 6 miles of track yesterday as personnel searched for two kittens who were reportedly loose on the tracks. The danger, of course, was that they would either touch the deadly third rail, or be hit by a moving train. 

Commuters were inconvenienced and the NY Police Dept was brought in for crowd control. As I watched the film footage from the local ABC affiliate in New York, I thought at first how adorable the kittens were. I am, after all, a cat person. But let's take a step back here. Is this a uniquely American attitude towards animals? To shut down the public transportation in THE major metropolitan center for hours, just to avoid the death of two homeless kittens? I mean, these animals are considered a food source in some parts of the world. And even here, hundreds of thousands of them are euthanized every year after being abandoned. Looking at the film footage, one can easily see that the subway system is a dumping ground for all sorts of refuse -- trash is piled up along the edges of the rails, and strewn along the pathways. Rats and mice can be seen scurrying in and out periodically...certainly no one is stopping the trains for them! 

Well, if they hadn't halted service, and rescued the kittens, the story could have gone one of two ways. Either no one would have ever known, or it would have blown up in their faces, and they'd have been vilified. So...August and Arthur, the rescued kittens, are now safely in the Brooklyn Care Center, awaiting adoption, the subways are running again....and here's a picture to coo over!