If anyone deserves to be denied the gates of heaven and sent straight to the fiery depths below, it is people who abuse helpless animals. It takes a deeply psychotic mind to get your kicks out of watching a creature suffer needlessly.
In December of 2024, nine-year-old Zane Perry was at his local skate park in Yuma, California, when he saw a group of older kids tossing a kitten “like it was a football” and even throwing it to the ground, severely injuring it. It was quite clear that if the abuse continued much longer, the cat would not have survived.
Zain thought quickly and presented one of his most prized possessions – his painting – and said that the scoundrels could have it if they left the poor cat alone. Surprisingly, they accepted his offer and went off to ride their new skateboard while Zain snatched the cat and ran home Get help from his mother.
“He was so small and tiny when I picked him up, and he was meowing, and I ran to my mom and told her I found this cat, and he needs our help.”
His mother, Rhiannon Perry, said her son ran towards her moments later, holding the little orange cat in his arms. “You could hear that his breathing was congested and his paws were covered in down,” she said.
They took the poor injured creature to the local Humane Society, and although he was badly injured, they were able to save him. He lives on, and is now Zain’s “best friend”.
For his heroic efforts, the young man was selected in September as the 2025 ASPCA “Child of the Year,” and the ceremony was held earlier in October this year.
Congratulations young man, you definitely deserve it:
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The cat, now named Peaches, has A new lease on life Thanks to the actions of a quick-thinking and very brave young boy.
Peach eventually had one of his eyes removed due to the severity of his injury. After undergoing eye surgery and treatment for a respiratory infection, Peaches is a happy, healthy cat and now lives with Zane’s family, which includes six other cats and three dogs. Peaches is now the 9-year-old boy’s full-time best friend.
“He loves me and sleeps next to my face and kisses me in the morning. We’re meant to be together, and I saved him. He’s mine. He’s my best friend,” Zayn says of life with Peaches today.
Heroic 9-Year-Old Boy Sacrifices Skateboard to Save His Cat, Wins Animal Welfare Award for Helping Pets (Exclusive) https://t.co/8eQfB4uKH1
— Pets (@PEOPLEPets) October 12, 2025
Although the story has a hero and a happy ending (and many in the community pitched in to get a new skateboard), there’s one thing I don’t see myself wanting to accomplish: identifying and arresting the group of abusers. Maybe someone could see if he would like to be thrown around like a football.
This one’s in Transverse series About ordinary heroes who do not necessarily appear on the front pages. It’s an opportunity to talk about something other than contemporary political scandals.
I invite readers to send me stories about people they know or have read about who have performed heroic acts — big or small, physical or otherwise — that have made someone’s life better or saved them from danger. Please email me with any tips [email protected] Or send me a direct message on Twitter. Thanks!
Editor’s Note: Schumer’s shutdown is here. Instead of putting the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats imposed a government shutdown of health care for illegal immigrants. They own this.
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