If anyone deserves to be denied the gates of heaven and sent straight down to the fiery depths below, it’s people who abuse helpless animals. It takes a deeply psychotic mind to get your kicks out of watching a creature needlessly suffer.
In December of 2024, nine-year-old Zayin Berry was at his local skate park in Yuma, California, when he saw a group of older kids tossing a little kitty around “like he was a football” and even throwing it to the ground, severely injuring it. It was pretty clear that if the abuse went on much longer, the kitten wasn’t going to make it.
Zayin thought fast and offered up one of his most treasured possessions—his board—and said the miscreants could have it if they’d just leave the poor cat alone. Amazingly, they took him up on his offer and went off to ride their new skateboard while Zayin snatched the cat and ran home to get help from his mother.
“He was so small and little when I picked him up, he was meowing, and I ran over to my mom and told her I found this kitty, and he needs our help.”
His mother, Rhiannon Berry, said her son came running toward her moments later, holding the small orange kitten in his arms. “You could hear its breathing was all congested and his paws were all caked with gunk on it,” she said.
They took the poor, injured critter to the local Humane Society, and although he was badly hurt, they were able to save him. He lives on, and is now Zayin’s “best friend.”
For his heroic efforts, the youngster was named in September as the ASPCA’s “Kid of the Year” for 2025, and the ceremony was held earlier this October.
Congratulations, young man, you certainly 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.
Peaches ultimately did have one of his eyes removed due to the severity of his infection. After his eye surgery and treatment for a respiratory infection, Peaches became a happy, healthy cat and now lives with Zayin'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 right next to my face and gives me kisses in the morning. We are meant to be together, and I saved him. He's mine. He is my best friend," Zayin says of life with Peaches today.
9-Year-Old Hero Boy Sacrifices Skateboard to Save Kitten, Wins Animal Welfare Award for Helping Pet (Exclusive) https://t.co/8eQfB4uKH1
— People Pets (@PEOPLEPets) October 12, 2025
Although the story has a hero and a happy ending (and many in the community pitched in to get him a new skateboard), there’s one thing I’m not seeing that I’d like to: the group of abusers being identified and arrested. Maybe somebody could see if they would like being tossed around like a football.
This is one in an occasional series about everyday heroes that don’t necessarily make the front pages. It’s a chance to talk about something other than the political scandals of the day.
I’m inviting readers to send me stories of people they know or who they’ve read about who have done heroic acts—large or small, physical or otherwise—that have made someone’s life better or saved them from danger. Please email me with any tips at [email protected] or DM me on Twitter. Thanks!
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
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