What Happened
A kitten found stranded in the center median of Sunrise Highway was rescued Tuesday morning after Suffolk County police blocked the roadway to allow an animal rescuer to retrieve it, according to News 12 Long Island.
Suffolk County Police received the call at approximately 9:40 a.m. on August 18, 2026. Officers blocked Sunrise Highway until an animal rescuer could safely reach the kitten in the median and bring it off the road, News 12 reported.
The kitten, 8 weeks old, was named Sunrise after the highway where it was found. Per the News 12 Long Island report, the cat was being checked for injuries before being placed for adoption.
Location & Road Context
Sunrise Highway (NY-27) runs east-west through Suffolk County and is one of the busiest surface corridors on Long Island. According to Long Island Traffic’s incident registry, Sunrise Highway has logged 24 recorded incidents in the past 30 days and 76 so far in 2026, making Tuesday’s rescue the 24th incident on the corridor in that span. The most recent prior fatal crash on the highway occurred August 10, 2026, and a separate moderate crash on NY-27 was recorded as recently as August 17, 2026.
Broader Impact
The kitten is expected to be available for adoption once veterinary checks are complete. Anyone interested in adopting Sunrise can contact Suffolk County Animal Shelter directly for availability and placement status.