WATCH: Kittens dumped outside ISPCA gates

Published: Thu 4 Nov 2021, 10:14 AM

Last updated: Thu 4 Nov 2021, 12:40 PM

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.

He said: “I noticed a cage and stopped to remove it when I discovered a number of kittens inside.

“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."

Gerard Griffin, senior animal care assistant at the ISPCA in Longford.

“I took them inside and tried to warm them up, and gave them some food while I waited for an urgent veterinary assessment.”

Gerard said the kittens were no more than five weeks old and sadly had experienced the worst start in their little lives.

“It’s heartless to think that someone just left them there all night and simply walked away,” he said.

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 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 vulnerable and might not have survived the night in this cold weather.

“It is an offence to abandon animals 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 abandon kittens simply because you don’t want them.

“Having cats neutered or spayed (kittens when of age) would prevent accidental litters of kittens from being born in the first place.”

Cats and kittens adopted from the ISPCA are fully vaccinated, treated for parasites, neutered/spayed (when of age), cat-flap and litter-trained.

The ISPCA also offer six weeks of free pet insurance. They ask for an adoption donation of €75 to help us cover some of the veterinary costs.

If you would like to support ISPCA, make a donation here: https://www.ispca.ie/donate/

How you can help

Adopt an animal in our care: https://www.ispca.ie/rehoming/

Become an volunteer: https://www.ispca.ie/volunteer/

Report animal cruelty: https://www.ispca.ie/cruelty_complaint

Donate to support our work: https://www.ispca.ie/donate/