Terrified kittens found on verge of death after being dumped in carrier bag in Barnsley

Four terrified kittens were found dumped in a carrier bag suspected to have been tossed over a six-foot-high wall in Barnsley – and a rescue dog has been praised for saving their lives.

By Rahmah Ghazali

Published 13th Oct 2021, 13:19 BST

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The dog, Dave, was being walked with his owner, Tracey Baker, on Wednesday, October 6 in Barnsley Cemetery when they made the awful discovery.

Tracey saw a tightly tied up Tesco carrier bag and assumed it was rubbish but when Rottweiler-cross Dave wouldn't leave it alone, she went to investigate.

She then heard squeaking and when she peered inside the bag found three terrified tabby kittens.

The four dumped kittens were lucky to be found after they were tied up in carrier bags and thrown over six feet-high wall

The four dumped kittens were lucky to be found after they were tied up in carrier bags and thrown over six feet-high wall

Inside the bag there was a smaller green and white 'Food Plus' carrier bag, containing a black kitten.

Tracey took the kittens home and alerted animal charity RSPCA and all four kittens, aged about two weeks old, were rushed to a vet.

The black kitten, despite being very poorly and weak when he was found, is now doing well.

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RSPCA said the kittens were found near where the dog in the photograph is pictured.

RSPCA said the kittens were found near where the dog in the photograph is pictured.

One of the other kittens had a damaged leg but she is also expected to make a full recovery.

All four, two males and two females, are now in the care of a fosterer who is hand-rearing them.

Jackie Siddall, from RSPCA’s Barnsley and District branch, said: “The poor kittens were obviously trembling and terrified when we collected them and two were in poor health. It must have been a dreadful ordeal for them.

“I am delighted to say they are now doing well and our dedicated fosterer is hand rearing them to build up their strength as they only weighed 300 grammes - and is busy with night feeds too.

Hero dog Dave has been praised for saving the kittens who were on the edge of death.

Hero dog Dave has been praised for saving the kittens who were on the edge of death.

“They are all gorgeous and when they are old enough we will find them loving forever homes.”

Tracey said: “I am so pleased the kittens are now doing well and I am thrilled with Dave for finding them.

“He is a very curious boy and smells at everything but it is usually discarded food - you don’t expect to find four kittens left like this - it is so sad.”

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Klaus the kitten is recovering well.

Klaus the kitten is recovering well.

RSPCA chief inspector for South Yorkshire, Lyndsey Harris, is now appealing for information to find the ‘callous’ person responsible for dumping the pets.

She said: “These poor defenceless kittens were discarded like rubbish we believe due to their injuries they had been thrown over a six feet-high wall.

“It was a stroke of luck that they were sniffed out by a dog out walking. Cats and dogs are meant to be mortal enemies but in this case hero Dave saved these kittens' lives as they would have suffered a lingering death and would have slowly suffocated.

“It’s always heartbreaking when I deal with abandonments. We are seeing increasing numbers of cats and kittens coming into our care. Perhaps in this case the owner decided the kittens would be too much work for them so instead of being responsible and contacting a rehoming charity for help they callously discarded them and left them to die.”

Anyone who can help or who recognises the kittens and is able to identify the owner should call the RSPCA appeal line on 0300 123 8018.

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