Palm Beach Society: Hero in blue plucks newborn kitten from perilous

In the mood for an "Only In Palm Beach" yarn?

Got one.

Palm Beach Towers resident and self-professed Cat Lady — really: she grows catnip on her Indiana farm — Coco Schefmeyer was returning from a Peggy Adams event recently when she received a rescue call.

As she tells it: "A neighbor here at The Towers, Joe Doyle, was walking his dogs at the Poinciana Plaza and heard a cat or kitten crying inside the engine of an SUV parked there."

Coco shifted immediately into Cat Lady mode, loading up husband Don's Bentley with a carrier, a trap, "and some stinky Fancy Feast called Fish & Shrimp Flaked."

Well, it's for sure Hubby loved that piscine enhancement of his Benny, no?

Coco continued: "Indeed, there was a tiny 8.1-ounce kitten hiding behind the SUV grill. I put my fingers inside and could feel the kitten's sharp nail. It had no teeth yet but was gumming my fingers because of the cat food. It was a tabby with mackerel markings."

"I asked Joe to call the Palm Beach police. Within minutes, Officer Dan Meblin arrived with Officer Joelle. They called the SUV owner's cell but no answer."

"So Officer Dan got under the car's engine with me — I had a miner's light on — and he was able to reach way up and get the kitten out."

PBPD protocol is to document the animal and take it to the station, where Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control is notified, Coco said.

"I offered to take the kitten once paperwork was filed," Coco said. "This kitten was 2 weeks old and needed to be fed every two to three hours by bottle or syringe. Around midnight, I got a call from PBCAC and picked up the kitten ... in the rescue world, that's called a 'freedom ride.'"

The lucky kitty spent the night at her condo and "ate like a champ" his meal of kitten milk and kitten food. He is being fostered by a fellow Peggy Adams volunteer.

Oh, and she named him "Officer Dan" after his rescuer.

Just look at Officer Dan. Isn't he the cutest thing ever?

And the kitten is darling, too.

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Row, row, row your boat ... Everybody needs a crew.

Even a crew.

Fans and friends of Palm Beach Crew turned out for a friendraiser reception at the Jennifer Tattanelli boutique where team members spoke of the camaraderie and sportsmanship that the demanding sport encourages.

They credited their coach Susan Saint Sing for encouraging their passion for rowing. Susan, a member of the 1993 U.S. World Rowing Team, is an authority on rowing history and the author of "The Wonder Crew: The Untold Story of A Coach, Navy Rowing and Olympic Immortality."

Susan wants an oar in every young hand.

"Rowing is a non-contact, non-impact sport, perfect for young, developing bodies," she said. "They are following a tradition of excellence and learning balance, timing, teamwork — the qualities they will take with them into their future endeavors."

Susan reported that COVID-19 decimated the number of rowers because of the lack of events. She and the team are seeking new recruits ages 12 to 18, as well as some funding for the program.

To help, go www.palmbeachcrew.com.

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Seen ... Bill Boggs and Margaret Luce among the attendees at the annual gala of Rescue Dogs Rock NYC (RDRNYC) . The "Cocktails for Canines" evening in New York was chaired by Georgina Bloomberg and Lara Trump ... Sharon Bush, Eleanora Kennedy, Kara Ross, Bonnie Lautenberg, Sylvia Hemingway, Lucia Hwong, Nicole Salmasi, Tena Clark, Elizabeth Steimberg, Cathleen Civali-Fisher and Adrienne Arsht at Cheri Kaufman's 12th annual Women Making History awards at the National Women's History Museum in D.C.