The Monday morning rush at a Home Depot in Marina del Rey, California, was just beginning — carts clattering, engines humming — when a red car suddenly tore into the parking lot.
Before anyone could react, the driver jumped out, dropped a beer box onto the asphalt, and sped off.
For a moment, everything was still. Then the box moved.
A few bystanders ran over and carefully peeled back the cardboard flaps — and their hearts broke. Inside was a tangle of newborn kittens, so young their eyes were still closed.
“They were only about five days old,” said Mary Shaughnessy of Kitt Crusaders.
Unsure what to do, the witnesses gathered around the fragile babies, shielding them from the sun and warning shoppers not to get too close. And then — by what can only be called fate — help arrived.
A volunteer with Kitt Crusaders happened to be in the parking lot that morning.
“When she saw how tiny they were, she immediately offered to foster,” Shaughnessy said. “She called us right away, and we all scrambled — getting her kitten formula, supplies, and even an incubator.”
There were eight kittens in total — far too many for one person to bottle-feed around the clock — so another foster quickly stepped up to share the workload.
“It really does take a village,” Shaughnessy said. “Our fosters are the backbone of our group.”
Thanks to that quick action and teamwork, all eight kittens survived. Now safe and warm, they’re growing stronger every day in the care of their rescuers — tiny survivors who never should have been left behind.
It will be a while before they’re ready for adoption, but for now, they have full bellies, soft blankets, and people who care deeply about them.
“They’re thriving,” Shaughnessy said. “And they’ll never have to go through something like that again.”
If you’d like to help Kitt Crusaders continue rescuing and caring for abandoned animals, you can donate here. ❤️🐾
