A litter of kittens has been stuffed into a bag and dumped on a beach with a sign reading ‘free kittens’.
The five shorthair cats were found on a Perth beach on Saturday without food or water as temperatures soared above 30 degrees Celsius.
A shocked beachgoer rushed the kittens to Cat Haven animal shelter, in Perth’s Shenton Park.
‘We have no idea how long they were there. They came to us pretty skinny, hungry and thirsty,” said Cat Haven spokesperson Amber Ashford 7 News.
‘There was a vet on standby. It’s quite dangerous.’
A litter of kittens, stuffed into a bag, were left on the beach with a sign reading ‘free kittens’, causing an uproar over their inhumane treatment
The five shorthair cats were found on a Perth beach on Saturday without food or water as temperatures rose above 30 degrees Celsius
Shelter employees treated and fed the kittens.
The animals named Raya, Renee, Ranna, Ryan and Reece are now safe and will be desexed this weekend before being put up for adoption.
The kittens are among 7,000 cats brought to Cat Haven each year after being abandoned.
Cat Haven staff sterilizes and places microchips in cats delivered to the shelter.
Animal welfare charity RSPCA WA was alerted to more than 1,000 reports of abandoned animals across the state in 2020.
Intentionally abandoning an animal in Washington is a crime, and people found guilty of committing the offense can face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.
Daily Mail Australia contacted Cat Haven for further comment.