The Sunshine Coast branch of the BC SPCA is hoping to raise money to help care for four kittens that survived being hauled off in a recycling truck.
“Somehow, seven newborn kittens ended up in a dumpster and they were picked up by a garbage truck along the route in Sechelt,” said Marika Donnelly, manager of the Sunshine Coast Branch, in a June 5 release.
“The poor little ones went through the trash compactor and three of them died from the trauma. Staff discovered the surviving four kittens and immediately rushed them to a local veterinarian, who contacted us.”
Gary Chittim, communications manager for Waste Management, told Coast Reporter the dumpster was picked up as part of the company’s regular Sechelt route of commercial clients.
He said the compactor the kittens were caught up in was the one on the truck that compresses the load after each pick up.
“We have no idea how the cats got into the dumpster,” Chittim said, adding they were discovered after the truck brought its load into the Sechelt sorting facility and dumped it onto the floor for inspection. “They were looking for anything abnormal and they saw the kittens.”
The surviving kittens, named Rosa, Maizie, Storm and Cabo, are now getting around-the-clock care in an experienced SPCA foster home.
“One kitten is missing two toes on its back foot from going through the trash compactor and the others have bruising and abrasions,” said Donnelly. “They are receiving regular bottle feedings with kitten milk replacer and their medical conditions are being monitored.”
Chittim said the company is hoping to arrange a visit through the SPCA for the employees who rescued the cats.
“It’s great when you can help when something like this happens,” Chittim said. “We’re just happy that the [surviving] kittens seem to be healthy and safe now.”
Donnelly said if the kittens were deliberately thrown into a dumpster, she has a message for whoever did it. “There is simply no excuse for abandoning innocent, helpless animals this way. The SPCA is always here as a safety net to help people who cannot care for their animals. There was no reason for these kittens to go through such a horrific experience.”
The SPCA has estimated the cost of caring for the kittens, which will include bottle feeding with a kitten milk replacer, regular medical monitoring and vet treatment, vaccinations and neuter/spay surgeries, at about $1,700.
Donations are being accepted at: https://spca.bc.ca/news/kittens-found-in-trash/
