It was a calm day for firemen in Forest Grove, Oregon, so Capt. Tony Carter and his crew decided to investigate when a phone came in stating that a cat could be in need of assistance.

He had no idea, however, that by the end of the day, he would have done more than simply preserve a life; he would have also added to his own.

A resident reported hearing a cat meowing from within a 20-by-20-foot mound of yard garbage, but it was hard to determine where the animal was hiding due to the thicket of hedge clippings and brambles.

So Carter and his colleagues went on the hunt, and after 45 minutes, they found a small white kitten that had most certainly been abandoned.

The terrified cat was subsequently taken to a nearby vet for assessment, but not before Carter snapped a snapshot of it to send to his wife.

Most ownerless kittens are eventually put down, but this cat was lucky enough to find a loving home quickly. Carter and his family chose to welcome the stray cat into their house, essentially saving the cat’s life twice in one day.

He told Oregon Live, “I wasn’t really searching for another cat.” “However, it was difficult to say no.”