Posted: August 23, 2008 2:00 a.m. EDT
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| Bozeman the kitten brings joy to a grieving family. |
Jesse Benson was on his way from Montana to California, traveling along Interstate 15, when his car rolled three times. Tragically, Benson was killed in the crash, but his passenger, a tiny kitten he was bringing to his girlfriend, survived the accident. This week, Bozeman the kitten was reunited with Benson’s mother, Joy, and his girlfriend, Tiphany Fiallo.
“It’s a miracle he (the kitten) survived the crash,” Fiallo said. “For me, Bozeman is the last thing Jesse loved. I’m happy to give him a home.”
Bozeman’s journey to Fiallo’s home was facilitated by many animal lovers. At first Benson’s family wasn’t sure what had happened to the kitten. As it turns out, a Utah state trooper had found the kitten at the crash site and noticed that he was limping. The trooper took Bozeman to an animal clinic in Hurricane, Utah.
Animal control officer Kelly Webb, after hearing from Joy Benson, tracked down the kitten at the animal clinic. Then Best Friends Animal Society stepped in, with employee Jennifer Krause giving the kitten a ride from Utah to California.
Though still grieving for Jesse, Joy Benson and Fiallo find joy in the little black kitten. “When I touch the kitty,” Joy Benson said, “I imagine Jesse petting him in the car on the ride home. It’s comforting. Having the cat is like having a living part of Jesse with us.”