A Kid's Stuffed Cat Fell Into a Storm Drain. The City Sent Public Works.

RIVERSIDE, Ohio, Oct. 23, 2026 — Firefighters get the cats out of trees. In Riverside, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton, it was Public Services that got one out of a storm drain. The cat was stuffed, but to its owner that didn't make it any less of an emergency.

## The Drop

On the way to school, a young child lost a stuffed cat through the grate of a storm drain, UPI reported, citing a City of Riverside social media post. Anyone who has watched something slip through a grate knows the feeling. It's right there, and you can't get to it.

The child's mother didn't accept that. She called the city. It's not the kind of request most people would think to make. Riverside lists its Public Service Department as the place to call about things like potholes, downed traffic signs and debris in the street. A beloved toy at the bottom of a drain isn't on that list, but the department showed up anyway.

## The Rescue

A worker from the city's Public Services department came out to help. Photos show him removing the storm drain cover and fishing the toy out with a reaching tool, UPI reported. No ladders, no sirens, just the right tool and the willingness to use it.

The mother took the photos herself and sent them to the city along with her thanks, according to UPI and WKEF Dayton 24/7 Now. The city then posted them to recognize him.

"It may seem like a small act of kindness, but to a child, that stuffed animal means the world," the city wrote, according to UPI. It added that "heroes don't always wear capes -- sometimes, they wear a City of Riverside employee badge!"

## Why It Landed

There's a practical side to this too. On its website, the city says its Public Service Department manages the stormwater system, including inlets, manholes and storm pipes, and that anything going into a storm drain flows straight into local waterways. So getting the cat back also kept one more thing out of the creek.

Mostly, though, people loved the story for how small it was. The city's post drew the praise you'd expect for a much bigger rescue, and outlets well beyond Dayton picked it up.

In the end, WKEF called it an ordinary morning turned into a special moment for a local child, a reminder that "a simple act of kindness can make a difference."

Neither outlet reported the stuffed cat's name or condition. Judging by the photos, it is expected to make a full recovery, probably after a trip through the wash.

Sources: UPI · WKEF Dayton 24/7 Now · City of Riverside (stormwater)