With temperatures below freezing and a thin blanket of snow coating the ground, Angel Talitha Dougherty admits it was an odd day for a photo shoot. Nevertheless, Dougherty and her dad, who run a photography business together in Greeley, Colorado, set out for their local park last month, undeterred. It turns out, their commitment was worth it, because they ended up saving a life.

Soon after arriving, Dougherty and her father heard something strange.

“I have never heard an animal make those sounds before,” Dougherty told The Dodo. “We were searching all around the park for what was making this noise.”

The pair eventually realized the commotion was coming from a trash can. They cautiously approached the metal bin and locked eyes with the desperate face inside. A black cat sat alone at the very bottom, freezing cold and begging for help.

Dougherty’s dad carefully reached inside and brought the cat out into the light.

“We were a little apprehensive of how the cat would react, but he was just so grateful we saved him,” Dougherty said. “He started purring as soon as we pulled him in close.”

Dougherty traversed the neighborhood, checking to see if the cat belonged to anyone. She took him to a vet for a checkup and found that he didn’t have a microchip. She posted in local Facebook groups, alerting everyone to the missing pet. But after a week with no leads, Dougherty began suspecting the cat had been abandoned. Luckily, the friendly little guy didn’t have to worry — he’d stumbled right into his new family’s arms.

“I decided to make my home his home!” Dougherty said.

One month later, Dougherty and the cat, now named Finnegan Francisco (“Finn” for short), are best friends.

“He can be very cuddly, but he also loves to play,” Dougherty said. “He is a very agile little guy. He loves sitting in the window [and] listening to the birds.”

Dougherty is so grateful that she happened to hear Finn that day.

“I really enjoy Finn’s personality, I like that he follows me around and does what I do,” Dougherty said. “I really lucked out with finding such a sweet cat.”