Humans of animal advocacy: Officer Kendra Anthony

On June 11, I was dispatched for a call about a “three-legged cat” in a moving and storage company parking lot. When I arrived, I found a tiny kitten, no more than 6 weeks old, hiding under a dumpster. Once I caught her with the help of some employees, I saw that her back left leg and tail were badly mangled.  Employees told me that a landscaper was mowing a nearby lot the previous morning, so it’s likely that she was partially run over by the mower.  

I immediately contacted Bonner Animal Rescue, which agreed to cover her vet costs. Animal Care Clinic in Shawnee, Kansas, graciously took in the kitten, who would come to be named Ilene, and performed a leg and tail amputation surgery that day. She stayed at the vet over the weekend, and her condition greatly improved. I took her home as a foster a few days after her surgery, and I brought her to work with me every day.  

Everyone at the police department quickly fell in love with her, and she was granted the official title of Station Cat on June 29.

Ilene now lives at the department full time and has free rein in the secured areas. Her favorite spots to hang out are the interview room couch, the chief’s office in “her” chair in the sun, the sergeant’s and corporal’s office, or on one of her two cat trees in the patrol room or front office. The loss of her leg and tail hasn’t slowed her down. She’s still able to jump, climb and run with a bit of a sideways flair.

Officers look forward to seeing her every day when they come to work. She loves to sit on our desks and help with reports or whatever task we’re completing at the station. She’s participated in the Tiblow Days Parade, gone for rides in the animal control van, and recently attended our latest drive-through vaccination clinic at the Bonner Springs Farmers’ Market. Our department has recently introduced a weekly summary for the public called “Bonner Brief,” which recaps department calls for service. We now have a spinoff called “Station Cat Chat” where we describe all the animal-related calls for service from the previous week. 

I encourage all departments to consider adopting a station cat (or dog). It’s a positive experience for everyone involved!

Officer Kendra Anthony
Animal Control
Bonner Springs Police Department, Bonner Springs, Kansas