The Scottish SPCA is appealing for information after a kitten was left for dead inside a sealed cardboard box in Bathgate.
A man walking his dog on a walkway near Blackburn Road heard the catclawing in an attempt to free himself on Friday evening.
The three month old kitten is now in the care of the Scottish SPCA’s Edinburgh and Lothians Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Balerno, where he has been named Ash.
Inspector June Chalcroft said, “This was an extremely cruel incident in which a helpless kitten was sealed inside a box and left for dead.
“Thankfully a man heard Ash scratching inside the box, otherwise he could have gone undiscovered.
“If anyone recognises Ash and knows who owned him we would urge them to contact us to help us with our investigation.
“We’ll look after Ash until we can find him the loving new home he deserves.”
Abandoning an animal is an offence under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 and anyone found guilty of doing so can expect to be banned from keeping animals for a fixed period or life.
Anyone with information is being urged to contact the Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999.
Image by Scottish SPCA
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
