A beloved emergency room cat was adopted as a kitten 16 years ago under threat of eviction – amid new manager’s concerns about staff allergies

A beloved ambulance cat who has lived on the property for 16 years is facing eviction after the new manager raised concerns about allergies.

The beloved dog, Defib, was rescued as a kitten by staff at Walthamstow Ambulance Station in 2008 and still lives there today.

However, the cat is now facing eviction due to “infection control/concerns” expressed following a recent change in management of the London Ambulance Service (LAS) – the NHS trust responsible for running the station in north-east London.

These threats prompted employees to start a petition calling for public support to “allow him (Defib) to live out his remaining years in the place he knew and loved” for most of his life.

Since the petition was made public on Monday, it has collected more than 22,000 signatures.

The beloved dog, Defib (pictured), was rescued as a kitten by staff at Walthamstow Ambulance Station in 2008 and still lives there today

According to the campaign website, staff believe that rehoming such an old cat is an “unnecessary and unjustifiable act of cruelty.”

It reads: ‘Unlike many cats in London, he was lucky to be rescued by staff as a kitten and has been adored by them ever since. Staff believe that rehoming such an old cat is an unnecessary act of cruelty and unjustifiable, especially in light of the recent popularity of therapy animals on business premises.

We hope you will support the staff in asking LAS to enable him to live out his remaining years in a place he knows and where he is loved.

One station employee took to social media to state that the station had not received any allergy complaints.

Jessica Rogers wrote: “So after 16 years, the new manager has decided that the station cat needs to be evicted due to “infection control/allergy concerns” for which no complaints have been received. Please sign! (petition) He is the sweetest and brings endless cheer to the hardworking frontline staff.”

LAS authorities told MailOnline the eviction was aimed at Defib’s safety.

It was found that as the cat got older, it narrowly avoided being hit by an ambulance several times.

Cat is currently facing eviction due to ‘infection control/concerns’ expressed following a recent change in management (pictured: Walthamstow Ambulance Station)

A spokesman for the London Ambulance Service said: ‘We are looking for a suitable retirement home for Defiba the cat. As he gets older, his reactions slow down and he almost missed being hit by an ambulance at a busy station several times.

“Additionally, we have ambulance staff with severe allergies who cannot use the ambulance during breaks.

“We are exploring some options for him to go to a loving home that would be more appropriate for a cat of his age than a working ambulance, and we very much think of this as a Defiba retirement plan with LAS.”