PEOPLE Magazine Features Poughkeepsie Man Who Saved Kitten

A 1-pound kitten that was rescued from the arterial in Poughkeepsie by a local resident has reached stardom with a feature in PEOPLE Magazine - let's hear it for Paradise.

Heartbreaking Encounter on Dutchess County Roadway

Though we see a lot of wild things in and around the Hudson Valley, I don't think anyone expects to experience what Joseph Logiudice did earlier this month while driving on one of the area's busiest roadways.

While stopped at a red light on the arterial, a multi-lane road in an extremely busy area of Poughkeepsie, Logiudice saw something tossed out the window of a car ahead of him, only to discover 'there was a tiny kitten in the middle of the lane, with a car passing over her.'

Thankfully, Logiudice took action immediately, jumping out of his car, waving his arms, and scooping up the 1-pound kitten and bringing her to safety inside his car.

DCSPCA

I'm not sure if nobody else noticed or just didn't care but I couldn't live with watching such a small helpless creature get run over. It wasn't even a decision, I just acted because I knew I could help.

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Poughkeepsie Man Saves Kitten From Poughkeepsie Arterial

Once Logiudice had the kitten safe in his car, or so he thought, she actually managed to get herself into his dashboard. He ended up heading to the Dutchess County SPCA in Hyde Park, where staff were able to coax her out of Logiudice's dashboard safely.

Lynne Meloccaro, Executive Director of DCSPCA shared her gratitude for Logiudice's (pictured below) quick actions:

It's hard to imagine anything more terrifying and dangerous for a little kitten than being dropped onto a busy roadway. Because of Joseph, Paradise now knows the love and protection she, and every animal, deserves.

DCSPCA

In case you were wondering, Paradise was indeed named after the popular Meat Loaf song, Paradise By the Dashboard Light by the team at DCSPCA.

Paradise is currently in foster care, weighing in at 1.08 pounds and is an estimated 5 weeks old. She'll need to hit two pounds before she is eligible for adoption, which will happed out of the DCSPCA.

Paradise, and especially the efforts of her heroic rescuer, Joseph Logiudice, were featured in the May 26th issue of People Magazine, bringing attention to what could have been a tragic situation turned heartwarming rescue in our very own Poughkeepsie. To read their full PEOPLE feature, click here.

25 Non-Profits to Support in the Hudson Valley

While people benefit from them every single day, non-profit organizations remain one of the many overlooked key parts of communities. Within New York State alone, there are 116,834 non-profit organizations created to benefit the local communities, with over thousands of them being located within the Hudson Valley. With many focusing on multiple different needs of various communities, there are non-profits in the Hudson Valley that advocate for community, change, and growth – all for little to no direct profit.

Non-profits rely on the support of their local communities to be able to spread their messages and widen their audiences, allowing more people to benefit from their organizations. From creative arts and wildlife explorations to support and donation centers, there are multiple non-profits located in the Hudson Valley that cater towards the needs of their respective communities to help aid in their growth.