One evening in San Francisco, dance instructor Kami Liddle was walking home after rehearsal when something unusual on the sidewalk caught her attention.
“Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed some kind of commotion,” Liddle told The Dodo. “At first, I thought it was a pigeon and a rat fighting. But when I got closer, I realized it was a dove attacking a hamster.”
Here’s video Liddle captured of that moment:
The tiny hamster, clearly out of place on the busy street, cowered in fear as the dove pecked at her. She looked fragile, confused, and completely unprepared for life on her own.
“My brain couldn’t make sense of it. Why was there a hamster just … out here?” Liddle said. “I scared the dove away, but then I had no idea what to do next.”
Thinking quickly, Liddle grabbed a box and gently placed the hamster inside.
“She was definitely scared, but within a few minutes, she let me pet her,” Liddle recalled.
Back home, Liddle tried to find the hamster’s family. She put up flyers and spread the word, but no one came forward. That’s when she called her husband for advice.
“He said, ‘Well, I guess we have a hamster now!’” Liddle laughed.
They named her Hami and set up a cozy space just for her. What began as an unexpected rescue soon blossomed into a loving bond.
“She kind of just slipped into our world and brings us a lot of joy,” Liddle said.
No one knows how Hami ended up abandoned on the streets, but what’s certain is that her life changed the moment Liddle stopped to help.
“She’s doing really well now,” Liddle said. “She seems happy, and I’ve done a lot of research to make sure she has a proper enclosure and a good life.”
A chance encounter on a city sidewalk had transformed both of their lives — and gave a tiny hamster the happy ending she deserved.
