One tiny Victoria kitten is lucky to be alive after an act of cruelty nearly left the little critter for dead.
Victoria Animal Control Services says a domestic long-haired, black and white kitten was found enclosed in a small black bag – which looks to be a toiletry or shaving kit bag – and then dumped inside a garbage can at Hillside Shopping Centre.
A member of the mall’s maintenance staff was emptying one of the outside trash bins in the mall’s parking lot when he noticed some movement from inside a small black bag.
“He thought, ‘did I see that correctly?'” recounted senior animal control services officer Ian Fraser. “He picked it up, unzipped it and inside was the kitten.”
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| The kitten, discovered in a black shaving kit bag in a garbage bin at Hillside Mall, is in good condition but appears to have trouble with balancing and moving – something that could be neurological, or could be a result of being squished by garbage or exposed to toxins. (Facebook/Victoria Animal Control Services) |
The maintenance worker quickly called Animal Control, who took the little kitten in for treatment.
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Fraser said the cat was dehydrated, but in fair condition, all things considered. It was later they realized it had some issues balancing and walking.
“It might have been born with that, or exposed to some type of chemical inside the can,” Fraser said. “Or other garbage put on top of it might have [injured] it.”
In over 25 years in Animal Control, Fraser said he has never seen an act of cruelty quite like this one.
“We don’t see this kind of thing very often…I’ve never actually seen a kitten abandoned like this,” he said. “We have found various rodents…abandoned in dumpsters still in their cages…but I’ve never seen this before.”
The kitten is being treated and observed by veterinary staff. Fraser said it isn’t feral and appears to be comfortable around people.
The person who left it in the garbage can could face a number of charges – both from city’s animal control bylaw and under the provincial Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
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Fraser said the incident is discouraging, especially because there are various options for people who can’t care for a pet.
“In Victoria there are lots of different agencies available to people,” he said. “If you don’t want your animal anymore you can take it to the (BC) SPCA, or there are lots of online agencies…all you need to do is a little bit of searching and a couple phone calls and you would find there are places to take it.
To zipper up this little kitten into a shaving kit bag and toss it into the trash can is a cruel thing to do. It wouldn’t have taken long for the kitten to succumb… if it wasn’t for the employee being observant this would have never been known.”
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call Victoria Animal Control Services at 250-414-0233.
nina.grossman@blackpress.caLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
