Kittens dumped outside ISPCA gates
The kittens have been named Adele, Gavin, Tiffany, Austin and Dylan by staff
Five kittens were found dumped in a cage by a staff member at the road entrance to the National Animal Centre in Longford recently.
Gerard Griffin, a senior Animal Care Assistant at the ISPCA in Longford, made the shocking discovery on his way into work.
“I noticed a cage and stopped to remove it when I discovered a number of kittens inside,” recalls Gerard. “I could see there was about five of them huddled together; they were absolutely soaking wet and shivering with the cold. It was difficult to determine how long they were there and I was really concerned they were suffering from hypothermia. With the rainfall and freezing cold conditions that night, they were lucky to be alive. I rushed them inside and tried to warm them up, giving them some food while I waited for an urgent veterinary assessment.”
Gerard adds that the kittens were no more than five weeks old and sadly have experienced the very worst start in there little lives. “It’s heartless to think that someone just left them there all night and simply walked away.”
The kittens have been named Adele, Gavin, Tiffany, Austin and Dylan by the staff, who hope to rehome them as soon as they have fully recuperated from their ordeal.
ISPCA Centre Manager Trish Spargo said: “These kittens experienced a very traumatic start in life. They are extremely friendly and it is obvious they are well handled and would have had lots of human contact. It’s a very irresponsible thing to do. They are very vulnerable and might not have survived the night in this cold weather.”
Trish added: “It is an offence to abandon an animal and pet owners need to be aware that they have a responsibility to ensure there is proper provisions in place for their welfare. You cannot just abandoned kittens simply because you don't want them. By having cats neutered or spayed (kittens when of age), it would prevent accidental litters of kittens from being born in the first place.”
The ISPCA is urging pet owners to spay or neuter their cats and kittens (when of age) as early as possible to prevent accidental and unwanted litters of kittens.
Cats and kittens adopted from the ISPCA are fully vaccinated, treated for parasites, neutered/spayed (when of age), cat-flap and litter-trained. They also offer six weeks free pet insurance and ask for an adoption donation of €75 to help us cover some of our veterinary costs.
If you would like to support ISPCA, please if you can, make a kind donation to support our work here: https://www.ispca.ie/donate/