Manager reverses decision to have beloved ambulance rehomed

A beloved ambulance station cat who was threatened with eviction will remain living on the premises after thousands called for management to reverse their decision.

The much-loved moggy, called Defib, was rescued as a kitten by staff at the Walthamstow Ambulance Station in 2008 and has lived there ever since.

But the feline faced eviction due to 'infection control/concerns' raised by a new management team at the London Ambulance Service (LAS) - the NHS trust responsible for running the north-east London station.

In response, a petition was started by staff members calling for Defib 'to live out his remaining years in a place he has known and loved' for the majority of his life.

It garnered more than 62,000 signatures in four days, leading LAS Chief Executive Daniel Elkeles to announce today that Defib would not be going anywhere.

Writing on X, Mr Elkeles said: 'I have heard all the feedback about Defib the cat. I do believe that my team were trying to make the best decision for both Defib and all our staff.

'I have listened to the views of the public and many of our staff and we have now agreed that Defib can remain at Walthamstow Ambulance Station.

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Beloved ambulance station cat adopted as a kitten 16 years ago under threat of eviction

'Defib is much-loved by staff at Walthamstow Ambulance Station and evidently, he has won the hearts of the public too.'

The decision was warmly received by social media users, with one writing: 'A fantastic decision made.'

Another said: 'Yes, there are much bigger issues in the world. But we all need a little joy in our lives- including at work- and this is how you stay human while being a leader, and back down with grace. Good stuff.'

The trust told MailOnline yesterday that the eviction would have been for Defib's own safety.

It said that as the cat has got older, he has narrowly avoided being hit by an ambulance on several occasions. 

But according to the campaign page, staff believed that rehoming such an old cat is an 'unnecessary act of cruelty and not justifiable'. 

It read: 'Unlike so many cats in London, he was lucky enough to be rescued by staff as a kitten and has been adored by them ever since. The staff believe rehoming such an old cat is an unnecessary act of cruelty and not justifiable, especially in light of the recent popularity of therapy animals in business premises.

'We hope you will support the staff in asking LAS to allow him to live out his remaining years in the place he has known and where he is loved.' 

One person who worked in the area took to social media to claim no allergy complaints had been received at the station.

Jessica Rogers posted: 'So after 16 years, the station cat must be evicted due to 'infection control/allergy concerns' of which no complaints have been received. Please sign! [the petition] He's the sweetest and cheers up hardworking frontline staff no end.'

Upon hearing the news today, Ms Rogers wrote: 'It has been confirmed that defib the cat is being allowed to stay at the station and live out his remaining years there after the outpouring of support from the public and discussion with the team on site. Well done everyone.'