ARLINGTON—On June 30, the North County Recycling and Transfer Station (NCRTS) in Arlington temporarily halted operations for approximately 20 minutes after a cat was discovered in the facility’s garbage pit.
The incident occurred around 9:45 a.m. on Monday when a crew member spotted the animal while processing waste. Operations were paused, and customer traffic was stopped to ensure the cat’s safe retrieval.
Two employees entered the pit to search for the feline, which had taken refuge in a piece of discarded furniture. The cat was eventually found unharmed.
The rescued cat was described as distressed but friendly.
“It is a very nice cat,” said Operations Manager Will Cote. “It was definitely freaked out.”
An employee took the cat to a veterinarian, where it was discovered to have a microchip. However, a software update was required to identify the owner. While awaiting further information, an employee is fostering the cat and has offered to adopt it if no owner is found.
Despite initial speculation that the cat might be a recently reported missing pet from the area, it was confirmed to be a different animal.
“Either way, it will have a good home,” Cote said.
Author: Mario Lotmore
