Sweet Gesture: Little Girl Names Kitten After Firefighter Who Saved Her!

Zackery Kelly, a firefighter for the Eagle Pass Fire Department, has always loved cats. He grew up with cats and has been known to stop and take pictures of cats he encounters on the job.

“I’m kind of known as the cat guy of the station,” Kelly told The Dodo.

So when the fire department got a call about a kitten stuck down a manhole, they knew Kelly was the guy for the job.

Firefighter in yellow helmet going down manhole — EAGLE PASS MAIN STREET

“Me being the cat guy, [the other firefighters] were like, ‘Suit up man, do your thing,’” Kelly said.

He put on his helmet and started making his way down the 10-foot manhole on a ladder. The rescue process was treacherous — as soon as he got on the ladder, it started sinking into the mud at the bottom of the manhole.

When he reached the bottom, Kelly found a little gray kitten. She was stuck in the mud, crying out for help. Kelly estimated that she couldn’t have been more than a month old. When he grabbed her, she was scared and disoriented.

Firefighter in yellow uniform holding gray kitten at the top of a ladder — EAGLE PASS MAIN STREET

As soon as he broke the surface of the manhole, a little girl and her mom were waiting at the top. Immediately, the little girl asked if she could have the cat. Kelly didn’t see why not.

Even though the kitten was covered in mud, the little girl held her close, already feeling protective over her.

The girl and her mom told the firefighter that they wanted to name the kitten after him. When he told them his name was Zackery, they thought they were going to have to come up with a different name, since the kitten was female. But another firefighter suggested that they could just name the kitten Kelly, after the firefighter’s last name.

Family standing with firefighters with little girl in the middle holding gray kitten — EAGLE PASS MAIN STREET

The little girl and her mom thought that name was perfect. Everyone was thrilled — not only did the kitten now have a loving family she belonged to, but also a name that honored her rescuer.

While Kelly regularly works with animals, it’s unusual for a rescue story to have such a happy ending.

“This was the first time that I’ve had somebody take the animal in … And my first time having a cat or an animal named after me,” Kelly said.

Having a kitten named after him has taken some getting used to. Kelly said it’s been funny for him to imagine the family calling the little kitten by his name.

Ultimately, what matters most to Kelly is that the kitten is now safe and sound.

“I’m glad that a cat found a forever home,” he said.