THE lives of five kittens have been saved after their heartless owner locked them in a suitcase and dumped them near a garbage bin in Cumnock about 8am yesterday.
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RSPCA inspector Bev Holloway said if a quick-thinking member of the public had not opened the case, the kittens would have died.
“In the heat they would have been dead by noon,” she said.
The kittens were taken to the RSPCA Orange shelter by the Cumnock resident who found them.
“They were dehydrated but are recovering well,” Ms Holloway said.
An investigation has been launched, as the case containing the kittens has a distinctive luggage tag.
“We are also calling on anyone who saw someone leave the bag with the kittens to please contact us,” Ms Holloway said.
She said the person responsible would be subject to a $5500 fine and six months in jail under NSW animal cruelty legislation.
“It was a very cruel and heartless thing to do as it would have been a terrible way for the kittens to die. There is absolutely no excuse when they could have been left at a shelter,” she said.
The five kittens, two black and white females, two tabby and white females and a male ginger, are all short haired.
“We are just bursting at the seams here at the shelter at the moment with cats and kittens,” Ms Holloway said.
“But the last thing we want to see is people disposing of animals they don’t want like this.”
Ms Holloway estimated the kittens were about six weeks old and said staff at the Orange shelter would do everything possible to rehome the abandoned animals.
Please call 1300 CRUELTY if you think you know who is responsible for dumping the kittens.
People wishing to adopt one of the kittchens should call the shelter on 6362 6171.
janice.harris@fairfaxmedia.com.au
