Drivers rescue cat from bus engine
Two Westlake (Ohio) City Schools bus drivers help save the life of a cat who suffers a broken leg and tail after getting caught in a school bus engine. The drivers are raising money to cover the medical costs for her recovery, and one driver has adopted the cat.

Margie, shown here, was rescued from a school bus engine by two Ohio bus drivers. She is recovering from injuries, including a broken leg and tail. Photo by Westlake Animal Hospital.
Two bus drivers for Westlake (Ohio) City Schools were able to help save the life of a cat who was severely injured from getting stuck in a school bus engine on Nov. 12, and another driver gave her a permanent home.
Denise Wering was driving her bus route that morning when Marge Laskowski, another driver, radioed for her to check the back of her bus, according to a Westlake City Schools press release. When the drivers pulled over, they found a tail and a paw sticking out of the engine in the back of the bus, and discovered the 1-year-old, female cat was still alive, with its right front leg and the back of its neck stuck in the serpentine belt.
The Westlake City Schools transportation department called an animal control officer for help. The officer was able to free the cat from the engine and brought it to the Westlake Animal Hospital.
Megan Hoffman, a registered veterinary technician at the animal hospital, said the cat had a broken leg and she was able to stabilize her and amputate the broken leg. An ultrasound also revealed that the cat was pregnant with four kittens.
The drivers named the cat Margie, after the driver who found her.
Driver Leah Vandersluis said in the press release from the district that the drivers believe that Margie crawled into the engine in the transportation department parking lot and that she fell into the serpentine belt at some point during the ride.
The next day, Hoffman took Margie home to help her recover and deliver her kittens. However, due to the trauma, Margie lost her kittens on Nov. 18. Hoffman said in the release that Margie is more comfortable now and her recovery is going well, but they also discovered she has a broken tail that will need to be amputated.

Margie recently found a permanent home with bus driver Leah Vandersluis. Photo by Westlake Animal Hospital.
Margie’s care has already cost the Westlake Animal Hospital about $1,800. The tail amputation and additional care will likely run between $600 and $800. The hospital is accepting contributions to its Good Samaritan fund to support Margie.
The transportation department has already collected more than $300 to donate to the fund for Margie.
Hoffman has been keeping the transportation department updated on Margie through text messages and invitations to visit Margie when she comes to the veterinary hospital.
On Monday, Westlake City Schools told SBF that Margie has found a permanent home with bus driver Leah Vandersluis.
A record of Margie’s progress can be found on the Westlake Animal Hospital’s Facebook page.
More Management

5 Questions: How CharterUP Brought a Marketplace to Student Transportation
What does it take to bring a transportation marketplace into K-12? Hear firsthand what CharterUP has learned about the unique needs of schools and bus operators.
Read More →
EverDriven Expands TripCentral Transportation Management Platform to All Partner Districts
The platform provides school districts with real-time trip tracking, student transportation scheduling tools, and pickup and drop-off management capabilities.
Read More →
6 School Transportation Trends to Watch: 2026 District Survey Results
School bus buying is up, fuel choices are shifting, and driver shortages persist. This and more in the latest K-12 public school survey, plus the largest fleets in the U.S.
Read More →
The 100 Largest School Bus Fleets in America: 2026 Rankings
Which public K-12 school districts are the largest in the nation in terms of bus fleet size? Here are the new standings of the top 100 district fleets.
Read More →
EverDriven Launches Route Consolidation Calculator to Estimate Diesel Savings
As diesel prices hit record highs, the largest alternative transportation provider says a 10% route consolidation could save a 120-route district more than $78,000 a year in fuel alone.
Read More →
Zum Secures Continued Financing Support for School Bus Expansion
Generate Private Credit has financed approximately $75 million in school bus deployments across three states, supporting more than 500 buses as Zum expands across the county.
Read More →
Beyond Discipline: A Different Approach to Student Behavior on the Bus
After implementing a dean of students program in Oregon, North Clackamas is seeing positive improvements. Here’s how it worked. The Route is brought to you by IC Bus.
Read More →A Dean of Transportation's Different Approach to Student Behavior on the School Bus
After implementing a dean of students program in Oregon, North Clackamas is seeing positive improvements on the bus. Here’s how it worked.
Read More →
Inside NAPT ACTS 2026: Highlights from Louisville
From federal updates and student behavior strategies to new school bus technology and industry awards, see highlights from NAPT ACTS 2026 in Louisville.
Read More →
Meet the 2026 School Bus Driver Hero Winner: Annette Brown
We caught up with Wa-Nee Community Schools' Annette Brown on site at SBFX, where she was named the 2026 School Bus Driver Hero Award winner. Hear about her reaction, what she loves most about being a school bus driver, and more!
Read More →
