Three kittens cruelly dumped in a sealed bag is 'only the tip of the iceberg'

The volunteers at Animals In Need (AIN) have been left horrified with the discovery of another cruel case of kitten dumping, the third known case in the past few weeks. On Friday last, three black kittens were found inside a closed bag, left at the back of a bar in Letterkenny.

The three boys are around 10 weeks old and are thankfully safe now with AIN, although the outcome could have been very different if they had not been discovered in time. Two other cases of kitten dumping were also reported in recent weeks.

In the first incident, a litter of kittens were found by chance next to a river in a deserted area near Killybegs, and days later, witnesses saw three more kittens being dumped from a car on a back road on the outskirts of Letterkenny.

There is no excuse for kittens being abandoned every year, when they have zero chance of fending for themselves.

Sadly, this is only the tip of the iceberg and many kittens aren’t so lucky and are never found. This whole scenario could be avoided if people neutered their cats.

AIN had an emergency arrival on Sunday night, when tiny kitten Morris was found soaking wet and freezing cold in the middle of the road.

Luckily, the finder did a good job at warming Morris up and also gave him a supplementary feed whilst they contacted AIN and arranged for him to join the cattery.

ABOVE: Morris is starting to feel better

Morris was extremely wet and dirty when he arrived and it is likely that he was born in a car engine and fell out onto the road when the car was moving.

This tiny tabby has a swollen forehead but otherwise seems to be in good condition.

Morris is definitely a fighter, and his fosterer is hopeful that there will be a positive outcome for him as he is doing well so far.

AIN’s cat foster homes are all full to bursting and the charity has several kittens and cats ready for adoption. Until they are rehomed, AIN does not have the space to take in anymore felines.

The charity’s helplines are ringing constantly with requests to take in cats and dogs but until there are spaces freed up by the adoptions of the fostered current animals, AIN’s hands are tied.

This is an annual occurrence during the Spring and Summer of ‘Kitten Season’ and it is an all year round problem with dog rehoming.

AIN are appealing to people to adopt, don’t shop and to consider giving a collie a home.

The charity’s foster homes are full of lovely collie dogs, as is the Letterkenny Dog Shelter.

Collies can make fantastic companion animals in the right environment.

They are the most intelligent breed of dog and are energetic, so they require a home where they will have plenty of mental stimulation and exercise, but in return they are quick to learn and extremely affectionate and loyal.

ABOVE: Tiny kitten Morris was found in the road

Many of AIN’s rescued collies, who were discarded as ‘useless’ as working dogs, have gone on to excel in agility and obedience competitions, once given the environment to thrive.

If you would like more information on offering a home to a collie, please contact AIN’s main helpline number or the Letterkenny Dog Shelter for further information.

AIN would like to congratulate Kate Maguire, the winner of their May Hamper, and say a big thank you to everyone who supported the draw and helped raise funds for the animals.

Finally, the volunteers at AIN’s Charity Shop in Donegal Town have now sorted through the backlog of donated items, are able to take in donated items again.

The shop is open Tuesday to Saturday, from 11am to 4pm and is located in the car park near Aldi. Your continued support is much appreciated.

ABOVE:The three abandoed kittens 

To help AIN’s animals, please donate €2 to AIN’s ‘Help Us To Help Them’ fundraising appeal via your phone by texting the word ‘KITTEN’ to 50300. Every cent goes directly to the rescued animals for their food, bedding, vet bills, worming treatment, and vaccinations.

Animals In Need Donegal is also on Facebook and has a website at http://www.animalsinneeddonegal.com.

For further information on adoption, fostering, volunteering etc, please contact the main helpline on 087 1356188. For cat/kitten enquiries please call 087 7644420.