A kitten has many weeks of recovery and rehabilitation ahead of him after he was abandoned in a pile of rubbish with two broken legs.
The young black and white cat, who is now in the care of the RSPCA and has been named Forest, was found by a member of the public near flats at Raeburn Road in the Gleadless area of Sheffield. He’d been wrapped in carpet and left amongst bags of household refuse.
Taken by the finder to local veterinary practice Peak Vets, both of his front legs were found to be broken and it’s believed this could have been done deliberately.
Forest – who is only about 16 weeks old – has since been transferred to the RSPCA’s Great Manchester Animal Hospital in Salford where he’s undergone successful surgery and is said to be making good progress.
The shocking incident comes as the RSPCA released figures as part of its Cancel Out Cruelty fund-raising campaign which show an alarming rise in intentional cruelty against animals, including 1,520 reports in Yorkshire last year (457 in South Yorkshire) – an increase of 23 percent compared to 2021.
Forest was found on 22 June and RSPCA inspector Ben Cottle-Shaw, who is investigating the incident, said: “It’s going to be a long, slow recovery for him but his prognosis is good and he’s receiving excellent care from the fantastic team at Greater Manchester Animal Hospital.
“There’s no evidence to suggest Forest had been involved in a road traffic accident, no scuff marks, scabs or damaged claws which you would normally expect to see, so it leads us to believe the injuries to his legs have been deliberately inflicted. He’s then been wrapped in a piece of carpet and literally thrown out with the rubbish.
“It was extremely fortunate that he was found and our thanks go to the very kind member of the public who came to his aid, and to Peak Vets for their ongoing support.
“It’s an absolutely shocking story and we’re appealing to anyone who recognises Forest or has information about what has happened to him to come forward.”
The RSPCA is bracing itself for another busy summer, with more people expected to report cruelty to animals between July and September.
The charity has launched its Cancel Out Cruelty campaign to raise funds to help its frontline rescue teams continue to save cats like Forest from cruelty and abuse, and to raise awareness about how to stop cruelty to animals for good.
Anyone with information about Forest is urged to contact the RSPCA’s appeal line, in confidence, on 0300 123 8018, quoting reference number 01099410.
