This is the heartwarming moment firefighters rescued a trapped kitten from a car dashboard.

The adorable rescue took place on Cowardin Avenue in the neighbourhood of Swansboro in Richmond, Virginia, USA, in the early afternoon on Sunday, August 21, following an emergency call.

Video footage shows how a Richmond Animal Care and Control officer retrieves the ginger-and-white moggy after firefighters removed a number of panels from the vehicle dashboard.

The pet cat was handed back to the vehicle's owner 18 minutes after the firefighters arrived on the scene.

The Richmond Fire Department said in a statement: ‘Every call is different for our firefighters, but we're glad this one had a pawsitive ending.

‘At approximately 2:19 p.m. this past Sunday, members of Engine 17's A shift responded to the Dollar Tree on Cowardin Avenue for the report of a kitten stuck in the dashboard of a vehicle. Our crew had to remove several panels in order for the Richmond Animal Care and Control officer to retrieve the cat. They were able get it done and return to service at 2:37 p.m.

‘This is video of the moment the kitten was freed! The cat was then turned over to the owner of the vehicle. Our responding firefighters said a 'purrfect' name for it is Audi.'