B.C.’s animal welfare agency is appealing to the public for help after a tiny kitten was found discarded and badly crushed in a metal recycling dumpster.
It’s unclear how the tiny feline ended up in the dumpster north of Pemberton, but a volunteer brought it to the Squamish SPCA.
Ella was suffering crush injuries to her front paws and dislocated vertebrae at the base of her tail.
“It could have been that somebody stepped on her, some sort of trauma to her paws to crush those toes and those bones,” said shelter manager Marika Donnelly.
The paw injuries are so severe vets will amputate at least one leg, and perhaps part of another paw.
Ella is still too young and small to go under anesthesia, so she’s on painkillers and antibiotics until she’s strong enough to undergo surgery.
Donnelly says the kitten has a fighting spirit and has a great prognosis to live a normal life.
“She’s very young. She’ll learn to use her body and move in different ways,” she said.
It’s hoped she’ll be available to adopt within a month or two.
The shelter is appealing to the public to help cover the $6,750 in medical bills. They’re also looking to speak to the kitten’s owner – if there is one – to determine how the kitten ended up being dumped.
Anyone who wants to help can visit the SPCA’s emergency page or drop by the branch in person at 39901 Government Rd., Squamish.
