Humane Society Of Ottawa Seeks Help Finding Person Who Left Kitten To Die In Garbage Bag

The Ottawa Humane Society is looking for potential witnesses to an act of animal cruelty that took place in Barrhaven, when a four-month-old kitten was left for dead inside a sealed garbage bag earlier this week.

A good samaritan found the sealed garbage bag Friday morning, on a pile of garbage. The person who found the kitten said they heard the kitten’s distressed meows and went to investigate. When they opened the sealed plastic bag, they discovered the frightened feline who was in pretty fair shape — except for an ulcer on her right eye, and scrapes on her nose — considering she could have easily suffocated in that bag. The kitten was then transported to the Humane Society of Ottawa.

“It’s horrifying that someone would do this to a defenceless animal,” says Shannon Miko, deputy executive director of the Humane Society. “This kitten wouldn’t have stood a chance except for her fighting spirit that led her to cry out at the exact moment someone happened to walk by.”

The kitten — who has been named “Hope” by Humane Society staff — is currently in the care of the Ottawa Humane Society, and they are now seeking help to find the person who did this to the poor cat.

“Hope is doing remarkably well for a kitten who had a brush with death,” Miko said. “She is a little banged up but beyond that, she is just a sweet and playful little girl who now gets a second chance at life.”

Once Hope is fully recovered, she will be looking for her forever home, but in the meantime, anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Ottawa Humane Society at 613-725-3166, ext. 224.

With the summer finally here, Hope is not the only animal that needs your help. The Humane Society would like to remind everyone never to leave pets in cars during the warm weather, even if you’ll only be gone for a few minutes. It doesn’t take long for heatstroke to be fatal to your furry friends.

Additionally, Dr. Barry Kellogg, VMD of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, says even humidity can be deadly.

“It’s important to remember that it’s not just the ambient temperature but also the humidity that can affect your pet. Animals pant to evaporate moisture from their lungs, which takes heat away from their body. If the humidity is too high, they are unable to cool themselves, and their temperature will skyrocket to dangerous levels—very quickly.”

If your animal’s temperature spikes above 104 degrees, contact your local Humane Society, or veterinarian as soon as possible to find out the best way to help combat heatstroke in dogs and cats.

[Image Credit: The Ottawa Citizen]