An animal charity is asking if anyone recognises a woman who was caught on CCTV dumping kittens in a shoebox at a south Birmingham country park on Sunday (7th October).
The RSPCA is appealing for information after a woman was caught on CCTV leaving a large Sports Direct carrier bag outside the Woodgate Valley Urban Farm in Clapgate Lane at around 11am.
But volunteers at the centre did not check the contents of the bag straight away, as they thought it was a donation of food or bedding etc for the animals in their care, which generous members of the public often leave.
However, when volunteer Matthew Brooks, 31, looked inside the bag two hours later, he was shocked to find a shoebox with the words “About 6 weeks” written on the lid, which had holes punched in it. Inside the box, Matthew found two distressed black and white kittens.
Matthew said: “It was lucky I checked when I did as I could have easily left the bag much longer.
“But this isn’t the first time this has happened. We have had about a dozen cats dumped on our doorstep like this over the last few years.
“Each time a local charity has helped re-home the kittens but this shouldn’t be happening at all.”
Matthew called the RSPCA and Inspector Mike Scargill took the kittens to Birmingham Animal Centre and Hospital for treatment, where they are said to be doing well.
Inspector Scargill said: “This woman has left these kittens in a situation in which they could very easily have been mistaken for a clothing donation and put to one side for a considerable amount of time.
“The kittens were frightened by their ordeal and they were lucky to be found unscathed, although they were full of fleas.
“Unfortunately this appears to be another case of selfish behaviour, and the actions of someone in a throwaway society who is willing to palm their problems onto someone else and, in this case, threatening the welfare of two six-week-old kittens.”
Insp Scargill stressed the need for responsible pet ownership. He said: “If people took more responsibility for their actions – neutering, not acquiring animals on a whim, and thinking long term about what they are taking on – then animals such as these kittens would not face such an uncertain future.
“All of the animals shelters are operating at full capacity and this type of behaviour only augments the strain put on them both locally and nationally.”
Inspector Scargill is appealing for anyone with information as to who dumped the kittens or anyone who recognises the woman in the CCTV footage to call the RSPCA appeals line on 0300 123 8018.
It’s a great pity parents, teachers, the media et al, cannot somehow enforce the importance of responsibility onto individuals – adults and children alike.
Alas, it just seems a small minority couldn’t care less and just want to dump their own responsibilities and anything & everything associated with that onto someone else.
Am pleased the kittens are safe and in good hands – they’re the lucky few!
What an evil b**ch. This makes me so angry. I am just glad that the kittens were found and are now being looked after and getting the care that they need.