This story is somewhat strange, I guess - definitely a happy ending!!Kitten Survives Pit Bull Attack, Hides in Minivan BumperThe kitten was discovered inside a car's bumper after a 25-mile drive that followed the vehicle's having been attacked by dogsA 7-week-old kitten survived an attack by a pack of pit bulls and gained a ride from Banning to Palm Springs (California) by hiding inside the bumper of a minivan.
Here's the feline survivor's story, according to Palm Springs police: An unidentified resident of Banning went out to his Dodge minivan Monday morning to find the vehicle's bumper torn apart, and a tire flattened.
The culprit: the vehicle owner's four pit bulls, which the man assumed had been trying to get at something hiding somewhere under the hood.
"He figured that there was a maybe a rodent or an animal in there," Palm Springs police Sgt. Mike Kovaleff said.
The man changed the tire and drove to work 25 miles in Palm Springs. When he got out of the car, he heard mewing from the front of the vehicle.
Palm Springs police were called just after 9 a.m., and an animal control officer eventually dismantled the bumper after about 40 minutes of work.
In a hollow space inside, the officer found the kitten, a brown American shorthair tabby. She was taken to a nearby animal hospital, where she was found to be in good health.
"The kitten had successfully survived the pit bull attack and the 25 mile drive to Palm Springs from Banning," a press release from the Palm Spring Police Department read.
The vehicle didn't fare as well as the kitten, who was named "Fender-Lynx" after her adventure.
The young feline's name was selected for the following reason, according to the police release: "'Fender,' for area where she was rescued from and 'Lynx' based on the Lynx-like appearance of the tufts on her ear tips."
COMMENTARY: This is definitely one of those stories that shows us again that animals are truly amazing.
**NOTE** I DID NOT post this with the intention of portraying pitbulls as bad - I've been a pitbull owner myself, and I don't believe that it is a vicious breed.
The kitten is available for pre-adoption from the Palm Spring Animal Shelter (760-416-5718) beginning Saturday for a fee of $20.