Austin officer scoops up cold, abandoned kitten during ice storm

"Because of Officer Townsend, the kitten is now warm and safe," a tweet from the police department read.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A police officer picked up an unexpected passenger in his patrol car Wednesday after coming across something that had no business being left outside in the cold, icy weather.

The Austin Police Department shared a picture of Officer Townsend with a soaked black and white kitten clinging to his shoulder near his police radio. The message with the photo read, "This poor kitten was cold and soaking wet! Thankfully, Officer Townsend was on duty and saved it!"

Police said the officer found the tiny cat while driving in southeast Austin along Hwy. 71 near Golfcourse Road, which is close to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The tweet explained he spotted the kitten in the road there.

"Because of Officer Townsend, the kitten is now warm and safe," the department's tweet concluded.

While this cat may now have a safe place to ride out the ice storm, a local shelter is asking for help to keep the animals in its care warm. Austin Pets Alive! announced its shelter lost power, so it would now like people to come forward and offer to foster some of the animals.

Backup generators are powering some of the critical parts of the facility, the rescue group said. However, some of the pet enclosures are exposed to the elements, so APA! leaders said in a news release that "(a dog) will be better off in a warm home than in a cold kennel."

APA! asked homes with extra space can pick up animals Wednesday and keep them until Friday. If interested, people can fill out a form or visit their website.