Woman Rushes Stray Cat to Vet After It's Hit by Truck. Days Later, She Gets Unexpected Call (Exclusive)

NEED TO KNOW

• Fiona Begg was out for a walk when she saw a cat get hit by a car

• She immediately jumped into action, scooping up the cat and taking him to the vet

• She posted a video about the ordeal on TikTok, and it amassed over 12.5 million views

Seconds were the difference between life and death for one cat.

Fiona Begg was taking a long walk in Ontario’s cottage country on a Friday morning when she saw something that pulled her from her thoughts. As she strolled the quiet block, she locked eyes with a gray cat. Moments later, he was hit by a truck.

Begg, 28, talks with PEOPLE exclusively about how her next move changed everything.

Begg says she ran out into the street, stopped traffic, and picked up the cat. Another woman who witnessed the accident informed Begg that there was a veterinary clinic nearby.

“When I got there, the staff dropped everything and rushed him into the back, immediately giving him pain medication,” Begg recalls. “The vet told me they’d do what they could, but it was unlikely he would survive.”

She walked back to the house in tears, replaying what had happened in her mind, believing that the cat would be euthanized.

However, days later, Begg received a voicemail from the clinic, letting her know that the cat had survived. Despite his improving condition, they couldn’t find his owner.

So when they asked Begg if she wanted to adopt him, she immediately said yes. Exactly one week after the traumatic incident, she and her sister drove two hours to pick him up and bring him home.

“Since I brought him home, he’s been sleeping a lot as he recovers from the trauma," she shares. "In the days before I picked him up, he had bloodwork done, got vaccinated, and was neutered. I’ve been introducing him slowly to my boxer, Link. They became instant best friends."

While the cat, which she named Lucky Chance, is settling in nicely, he isn’t entirely out of the woods just yet. Begg shares that he will need dental surgery after breaking a tooth in the accident. 

“My focus right now is on helping him gain weight, heal fully, and build trust. I want him to feel safe and finally be able to rest,” Begg shares.

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Begg made a TikTok video about the experience, and it went viral, amassing over 12.5 million views. She hopes that “anyone in my position would stop to help.”

“I believe it’s our responsibility to protect all living things. Many people might have assumed he was already gone or left him in the road, but I couldn’t," she says. "I’ve always had an extreme soft spot for animals. If someone can’t help themselves, there are many animal rescue places or clinics they can call."

“I’m endlessly grateful to the veterinary staff who acted so quickly and compassionately, and to everyone who’s shown love for Lucky Chance’s story. He truly lives up to his name,” Begg adds.

Read the original article on People