Meagan Licari, president of Puppy Kitty NYCity, has rescued countless cats and dogs across New York. But on this particular day, her compassion was called upon in an entirely unexpected way.
While riding in an Uber through the city, Licari glanced out the window and froze — there, clinging desperately to a fence above a roaring highway, was an opossum. One slip, and the terrified animal would fall straight into traffic below.
Without a second thought, Licari sprang into action.
“It really wasn’t a thought process,” she told The Dodo. “It happened so fast. I was like, ‘Oh my God, sir, I need you to pull over. I have to help this animal.’”
When she jumped out of the car, she saw a few people gathered nearby who said they’d called 311 hours earlier, but help never came. The opossum was exhausted and trembling — she wouldn’t last much longer.
“I can’t turn my back when I see an animal in distress,” Licari said.
Without hesitation, she climbed the fence, gently scooped the frightened opossum into her arms, and secured her inside a tote bag. The entire rescue took under a minute.
“I think my Uber driver was shocked,” she said with a laugh. “But then he just looked at me and said, ‘You’re brave.’”
Back in the car, the opossum seemed to sense she was safe. She relaxed in Licari’s lap, breathing slowly as they drove home together. Licari kept her overnight to rest, then brought her to Wild by Nurture, a wildlife rehabilitation group, the next morning.
There, the staff discovered the cause of the opossum’s distress — she was suffering from lead poisoning, which had likely left her disoriented and caused her to wander out during the day. Thanks to Licari’s quick action, she was now getting the care she needed.
But there was one more surprise in store: the opossum hadn’t been alone after all.
“She had tiny babies in her pouch the whole time,” Licari said. “I thought I saved one life, but I actually saved a whole family.”
Once the mother and her babies are healthy again, they’ll be released back into the wild — free to live safely where they belong.
Licari hopes their story helps people see opossums in a different light.
“They might look scary, but they’re gentle creatures,” she said. “They’re wonderful for the ecosystem and really just want to be left alone — unless, of course, they need a helping hand.”
If you’d like to support Puppy Kitty NYCity, you can donate [here]. To help Wild by Nurture, click [here].
