Washington County Sheriff's OfficeA young kitten who had been sprayed with hardening foam and abandoned in a bin has thankfully made an incredible recovery after being rescued.
The poor cat was discovered near a property with multiple buildings and residents in Oregon, USA, earlier this month, when a sanitation worker who was emptying the bin heard the desperate cries of a helpless animal coming from within.
Looking among the rubbish, the worker found the 8-week-old male kitten covered in pink spray, which had hardened over his head, face and legs.
Garbage Collector Rescues Kitten from Trash
Media Release: Garbage Collector Rescues Kitten Encased in Spray Foam in TrashOn May 3, 2019, Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to reports of a kitten trapped inside a garbage can at Hillsboro Garbage Disposal on SW Minter Bridge Road in unincorporated Washington County, just south of Hillsboro.A garbage collector was working to empty a trash can at a property on SW Minter Bridge Road, just north of the Hillsboro Garbage Disposal location. While trying to empty the can using a hydraulic arm, the driver noticed the contents of the can were not emptying. Upon further inspection, he noticed a small cat, encased in spray foam, hanging upside down from its back legs. The driver knew the cat was still alive because he could hear it whining.The driver took the garbage can back to the Hillsboro Garbage Disposal facility where shop staff worked together to remove the 8-week-old male kitten from the spray foam and take it to a local veterinarian for care.The trash can comes from a property with multiple structures, including two residences and several rented outbuildings. The kitten likely belongs to one of two different feral cats that live on the property, both with litters of kittens. With all the people coming and going from the property, it’s unclear who may be responsible for this act of animal cruelty.The kitten is recovering at Washington County Animal Services’ Bonnie L. Hays Small Animal Shelter and is expected to make a full recovery. The cat will be returned to its owners once the investigation is completed.If anyone has any tips, please contact Cpl. Brandon Talbott at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office by calling 503-846-2700.Full release: bit.ly/2HqPGwI
Posted by Washington County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday, 15 May 2019
According to a Facebook post from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the worker took the suffering animal back to the Hillsboro Garbage Disposal facility, where staff attempted to remove the foam.
The post read:
The driver took the garbage can back to the Hillsboro Garbage Disposal facility where shop staff worked together to remove the 8-week-old male kitten from the spray foam and take it to a local veterinarian for care.
Washington County Sheriff's OfficeThe kitten was then taken to Hillsboro Veterinary Clinic for further care. Diane Healey from the clinic described him to Fox 12 News as ‘something out of a Halloween horror show’.
She continued:
It obviously hadn’t been there too terribly long, or he would have suffocated. The head was covered, the face was covered, the legs were stiff, he couldn’t move them.
Thankfully, the kitten was successfully freed from the hardening foam and is now recovering at the Bonnie Hays Animal Shelter.
Washington County Sheriff's OfficeWashington County Sheriff’s Office explained that an investigation into the animal abuse is underway, but as the cat was found in a bin near multiple residences, it’s not immediately clear who is responsible.
On Facebook, they wrote:
The trash can comes from a property with multiple structures, including two residences and several rented outbuildings.
The kitten likely belongs to one of two different feral cats that live on the property, both with litters of kittens.
With all the people coming and going from the property, it’s unclear who may be responsible for this act of animal cruelty.
Washington County Sheriff's OfficeThe police are seeking the public’s help in tracking down who is responsible for abusing the cat, and are asking anyone with information to get in touch.
They added that ‘the cat will be returned to its owners once the investigation is completed’, though hopefully that won’t be the case if the owners are found to be the ones who abandoned the kitten.
Hopefully the young cat will go to a loving home.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.