Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Williamsburg Cop Adopts Adorable Kitten She Rescued From Discarded Suitcase
By
Jen Chung
Published May 3, 2016
Modified May 3, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
View all 5
By
Jen Chung
Published May 3, 2016
Modified May 3, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Remember the insanely cute kittens who were found abandoned in a suitcase left in a Williamsburg parking lot? The ASPCA now has a pawesome update: Three of the kittens have been adopted, and one of the adopters is the police officer who helped rescue them!
Last month, a concerned woman called the police about a suitcase with kittens at 373 Wythe Avenue, under the Williamsburg Bridge. Officers Nicole Piridis and Roman Goris of 90th Precinct responded, and Pirdis later told the Daily News that right after finding the kittens, she took them to the woman who had called 911. But one male kitten kept approaching Officer Piridis. "I picked him up, and he fell asleep," she recalled. "We locked eyes ... I’m like, ‘I’m taking him. He’s mine.'" She adopted the kitten, changing his name from Dmitry to Apollo, on Saturday.
Pirdis's friend adopted a kitten named Inessa (who is now renamed Persephone) and a kitten named Ilyo also found a furever home on Sunday. The two remaining surviving kittens, Oxsana and Albina, are still being treated and are not available for adoption yet.
"This is an incredible outcome for these vulnerable kittens who were callously discarded and left to die," said Howard Lawrence, Vice President, Humane Law Enforcement, ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Group. "Through the quick response of the officers in the 90th Precinct and dedication of our staff at the ASPCA, three animals now have loving, safe homes. Cruel acts like this simply will not be tolerated in New York City. We encourage anyone with information about this case to please contact the NYPD."
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-577-TIPS or going online to submit a tip to Crime Stoppers’ website—apparently someone threw the suitcase into the parking lot. NYPD Crime Stoppers accepts anonymous tips. The ASPCA adds that it "encourages the New York City public to be vigilant when it comes to reporting suspected animal abuse and to contact 311 to report animal cruelty or neglect, or 911 if they see a crime in progress."
Tagged
aspca
aww
barts people
kittens
williamsburg
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Queens man found dead, police say, and injured woman is his mother, neighbors say
Police are investigating a related incident in which a 62-year-old woman was found injured beneath the Van Wyck Expressway.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 14, 2026 at 7:39 p.m. ET
Man shot by ICE in NYC's Marble Hill said federal officers never identified themselves
The wounded man said he didn't learn ICE agents were involved until he woke up in the hospital.
By
Arya Sundaram
and
Samantha Max
News
Man shot by ICE in NYC's Marble Hill said federal officers never identified themselves
The wounded man said he didn't learn ICE agents were involved until he woke up in the hospital.
By
Arya Sundaram
and
Samantha Max
Brooklyn school dean says MTA officers assaulted him over a $3 bus fare he says he paid
By
Carol Chen
National Grid customers in NYC will see higher gas bills this winter
By
Rosemary Misdary
Bruce Blakeman joins Gov. Hochul in support for expanding NY rape law
By
Jon Campbell
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .