Every single day, Benny had been bringing food to the drain—not for himself, but for these helpless creatures trapped below. He must have heard them mewling after the heavy rains swept them into the storm system, and somehow, instinctively, took it upon himself to keep them alive.

Annie felt tears rise in her eyes.

“He… he’s been saving them,” she whispered.

The firefighter smiled, gently placing the kittens into a blanket-lined box. “If it weren’t for this dog, they’d never have made it.”

Benny sat beside the box, proud and calm, as if he knew his mission was finally complete.

The story made headlines the next morning.

“Local Dog Saves Kittens from Storm Drain” read the banner in the Meadowbrook Herald. A photo of Benny sitting protectively next to the box of kittens was splashed across the front page.

Annie couldn’t stop thinking about him.