In an act of true cruelty, surveillance cameras captured two women callously abandoning an adult cat and kittens outside the Newcastle SPCA on Sunday afternoon, 14 January 2024.
The gut-wrenching scene unfolded as the women drove away, leaving the adult cat futilely attempting to chase after their vehicle.
Newcastle SPCA Trainee Inspector Jenavieve Tinkler unveiled the distressing situation on Monday morning, 15 January 2024, when she discovered a box near the SPCA gate. “I saw a box near the gate, and wondered why the box was not with the other rubbish. But when I looked inside the box, all I saw was a little pair of eyes looking up at me,” she recounted.
Upon inspection, Tinkler found a lone kitten in the box and immediately sought to identify other potential kittens. When she didn’t see other kittens, she took to reviewing the SPCA’s CCTV footage, which revealed two white women arriving in a bakkie, carrying a box to the organization’s perimeter fence. The women removed a kitten from the box, climbed back into their vehicle, and drove off, leaving the adult cat to chase after them, while a small kitten sat unattended in the box.
Tragically, the situation took a darker turn when the lifeless body of the adult cat was discovered near the Newcastle SPCA. Tinkler surmised, “There were larger prints around her, and we presume the cat was killed by dogs.”
With only one kitten recovered from the box and the adult cat deceased, Newcastle SPCA staff conducted an extensive search for additional kittens in the vicinity. Tinkler, dedicated to the cause, stayed at the premises past midnight and managed to capture a young cat wearing a collar, although confirmation of its connection to the abandoned box remains uncertain.
Tinkler further noted that the abandonment occurred shortly after 1 pm, just preceding a storm that hit Newcastle on Sunday afternoon. Consequently, the frightened kitten was left alone in a drenched box, with the lifeless adult cat nearby.
As the Newcastle SPCA intensifies efforts to locate any potential additional abandoned kittens, the organisation is appealing to the public for information leading to the identification of the two women responsible for this heartless act.
Tinkler emphasised that the perpetrators could face legal charges, including abandonment, neglect, and ill-treatment. “All information will be treated with confidentiality,” she assured.
Calling on the community for assistance, Tinkler acknowledged that incidents of animal abandonment were unfortunately not uncommon in Newcastle. Citing a previous case in 2023, she highlighted instances of abandoned puppies and kittens, stressing the importance of responsible pet ownership.
In conclusion, Newcastle SPCA urges the community to report any information that could aid in locating the individuals responsible for this appalling act. The question now looms: Will Newcastle rally to help the SPCA bring justice to the abandoned cats?
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Absolutely disgusting to know that two women could be so heartless, obviously they have no shame or guilt, I sincerely hope that they are caught and made to pay a massive fine, or even better that they receive community service and have to clean out the cages at the SPCA…if they had financial reasons for dumping the animals then they should asked for assistance. I honestly feel no pity for people like these two.
Please if anyone knows who abandoned that cat and kittens contact the spca it can be an anonymous call we have to find those heartless people I am devastated how inhumane is that I truly hope they are caught
Does the SPCA has a tiktok page? Use that as a platform too. I hope a vase of animal neglect was opened. Tiktok has made magic finding people like this. Heartless people