Safe and Sound

Houston SPCA's animal ambulance saves 3 tiny kittens in dramatic rescue

Three kittens

The three kittens will be cared for at the Houston SPCA until they are old enough to be adopted.

Photo courtesy of Houston SPCA

Each year, the Houston SPCA's 24-hour animal ambulance responds to more than 6,000 calls for help, rescuing puppies, kittens, dogs, cats, wild animals, and even small farm animals.

They are rescued from busy freeways; inside walls, sewers, and drains; and deep ravines and ditches.

Late Monday evening in northeast Houston, the animal ambulance responded to a report of three kittens trapped inside a car’s hot engine compartment.

An Emergency Medical Veterinary Technician (EMVTs are trained veterinary technicians) safely removed the kittens through the car’s undercarriage, followed quickly by treatment for heat distress using cloths soaked in room-temperature water and a portable fan to lower body temperatures.

Veterinary staff reported that it is a miracle the kittens did not sustain burns.

All three little felines — now named Haley, Alexandra, and Luke — were transported to the Houston SPCA Medical Center, where veterinarians say they are doing very well despite the dangerous situation.

The kittens are currently in the Houston SPCA kitten nursery, where they can safely grow until they are old enough for adoption.

The Houston SPCA’s 24-hour rescue animal ambulance is the only one of its kind in the region and serves all of Harris County, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with a rotating team that includes five EVMTs.

Under the direction of Dr. Roberta Westbrook, this unit of experienced veterinary technicians can quickly access injured animals’ needs at a scene, helping to save more lives.

If you spot an unowned and injured or distressed animal, call 713-880-4357 (HELP) immediately.

Watch footage of the dramatic rescue below:

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Beyonce Super Bowl

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”

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