Cats Dumped in Sealed Buckets in N.Y.C.

Two cats found themselves alone and trapped this holiday season.

According to Gothamist, New York City’s Animal Haven shelter is caring for the two cats, each found in a plastic bucket and dumped on the sidewalk of the city in the past month.

An Animal Haven employee found the first feline on Nov. 17. The white bucket, which had a hole cut in the top, was discovered outside the shelter next to the trash.

“Staff isn’t left speechless that often anymore but when morning kennel went to move what appeared to be just an empty bucket on the side of our building near the back door, they were shocked to see a tiny eye looking back up at them,” Animal Haven staff wrote on Facebook about the incident. “Yes, believe it or not but someone left an innocent cat in a bucket outside our door overnight. Luckily the sweet thing who we have named Sage is safe and sound now but we can only imagine how scary the ordeal must have been.”

What appeared to be a horrible, one-time act of animal cruelty, became a copycat case on Dec. 13, when once again a cat was found in a sealed bucket beside the SoHo shelter.

“Around 7:45pm yesterday, we found another bucket left next to the public trash can with a cat inside, as if left for garbage. Luckily one of our staff members recognized the bucket, brought it inside and pried it open. This poor kitty is in bad shape and, needless to say, is terrified,” shelter staff posted on Facebook about the second incident.

Animal Haven also shared surveillance footage of the second dump and is asking anyone who recognizes the man leaving the cat behind to contact the shelter. Animal Haven is also asking that everyone in New York City keep an eye out for any suspicious plastic buckets.

The shelter is working with the police and the ASPCA to find out who cruelly abandoned these animals. Animal Haven is also focused on providing the two abandoned cats with a new start. Sage, the first cat, has been adopted and Charlie, the second cat, is working toward a full recovery.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). People can also submit tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.