Donegal based charity Animals In Need (AIN) has revealed that a disturbing number of cats and kittens are being dumped around the county which they say has now reached epidemic proportions.
The animal rescue has saved the shocking figure of 370 cats and kittens this year, many of whom have been deliberately dumped or left behind by their owners.
In the past week alone, AIN has rescued a mother cat and her two kittens who were dumped in a private lane, a young cat was left behind by her owners when they moved away, another cat was left at the vets and the owners refused to collect her plus five small kittens were dumped near Supervalu in Killybegs.
One of the five kittens dumped in Killybegs
An AIN spokesperson said: “The situation is completely out of control. In the case of the five tiny kittens dumped in Killybegs this week, we’ve so far managed to catch two of them. One of the others had already been killed on the busy road there and two more are missing.”
This is the third time AIN has been called out to rescue kittens abandoned at this location in the past few months.
Dumped on a building site in Donegal Town
AIN said: “Dumping kittens is handing them a death sentence and a cruel, often lingering death filled with suffering at that.”
She continued: “Kittens cannot fend for themselves. They can’t hunt or defend themselves.They easily fall victim to road accidents, starvation, the elements, sickness or predators. It’s like sending a toddler out into the big wide world alone, you just wouldn’t do it.”
Aside from the cruelty and suffering a dumped cat or kitten will go through, abandoning a pet is a criminal offense under the Animal Welfare Act.
Many of the dumped cats and kittens are in bad shape when they arrive at the rescue due to the tough struggle to survive they have endured.
AIN said: “When they are starving they will eat anything. Recently we had some really unwell kittens come in and one ended up having major surgery after having eaten butchers elastic.”
“Another one was passing pieces of a plastic bag and we’ve had others vomiting up hard plastic and stones.”
This year has seen an unprecedented number of call-outs to litters of dumped kittens and abandoned cats all around the county.
AIN appealed to anyone considering abandoning animals to please think again, saying: “There is help and advice available at the end of the phone so have a heart and make that call to your local rescue.”
She concluded: “Not only is dumping animals a crime but the suffering the helpless kittens and even adult cats go through before they die their lonely death is horrendous. This has to stop.”
Animals In Need CLG Donegal is a registered charity made up entirely of unpaid volunteers that has been rescuing animals in Donegal for the past 12 years.
For further information on adoption, fostering, volunteering etc, please contact the main helpline on 087 1356188. For cat/kitten enquiries please call 087 7644420. Animals In Need Donegal is also on Facebook and has a website at http://www.animalsinneeddonegal.com.
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