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Wake County Deputy Devin Richardson saw something tiny running down Interstate 540 near I-87 in the Knightdale area.
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He swerved, but he wasn’t sure he had missed it. He activated his patrol car’s emergency lights and ran back.
“I didn’t think I was gonna be able to get to her in time, but I was just like, I gotta try,” Richardson told The News & Observer.
He heard mewing from a section of the concrete barrier, where the kitten had tucked herself into an opening. Richardson reached in and grabbed her before she could dart back into traffic.
Richardson put her in the patrol car and called his wife. He wanted to take the kitten in.
“I instantly just felt there was a connection there,” he explained.
The tiny kitten survived the highway, then spent weeks moving through Wake County’s shelter system.
After rescuing her, Richardson gave her to a Wake County animal control officer, who brought her to the Wake County Animal Center.
The brown tabby with dark stripes was about 4 weeks old, weighed 1.3 pounds and had a scab on her nose. Animal Services Director Jennifer Federico said the county veterinary team otherwise considered her healthy and that she needed no additional medical treatment there.
The shelter staff named her Fairy, but she was too young and small to be spayed. Kittens must be at least 8 weeks old and 2 pounds, Federico said.
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She remained at the center for a required three-day stray hold. On Dec. 2, 2025, she was transferred to the SPCA of Wake County.
The Animal Center’s file noted that Richardson wanted to adopt Fairy once her stray hold ended.
At the SPCA, the kitten went into foster care while she gained weight and received vaccines, flea-and-tick prevention and treatment for an upset stomach before being spayed.
On Jan. 16, 2026, Richardson was first in line to adopt her and brought her home.
“She was going to be named Trooper, but my wife liked Willow,” he said, “so we ‘compromised’ and named her Willow.”
The Nov. 29 rescue drew wider attention this month after the Sheriff’s Office and SPCA shared a video about Willow on Facebook.
“I honestly did not expect anyone to know or care about this,” Richardson said.
Willow joined two other cats, Ezekiel and Kelani, in Richardson’s home. The deputy also has a Belgian Malinois named Smokey.
Willow now “talks” to Richardson, running down the stairs and cooing when he comes home.
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He once ran back for her; now she runs to greet him.
This story was originally published October 12, 2026 at 5:25 AM.