Following the sound to an alley behind the station, he found a tiny kitten shivering in a damp cardboard box. It was barely a few days old, struggling to move.

Without hesitation, he scooped it up and brought it inside, warming it in his hands. As he fed it from an old bottle, he couldn’t help but wonder—who could abandon something so small? That question led him to the station’s security cameras. He watched the footage, and his smile faded.

The video showed an older woman, her face marked by hardship, carefully placing the box in the alley. She lingered, stroking the kitten’s tiny head before walking away, her shoulders slumped under an invisible weight.

This wasn’t neglect—this was someone with no other choice.

Determined to find her, Officer Johnson grabbed his coat, cradling the kitten in a makeshift sling. He walked the neighborhood, showing the kitten to shopkeepers and passersby, asking if anyone recognized the woman.

Most shook their heads, but an elderly man at a corner store finally gave him an answer.