A Co Fermanagh woman who rescues animals has said a kitten that was dumped in a bin in Kesh is one of the worst cases of neglect she has seen.
Deborah Stevenson has rescued dozens of animals over the course of three decades, and was alerted to a kitten stuck in a bin near Muckross last week.
After gaining the help of the local council to unlock the bin, Deborah took the kitten to a vet who confirmed it would have been impossible for it to enter the bin itself.
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Deborah has now taken Gismo into her home along with her other rescue animals, but said anyone who would dump an animal like that is "shameful".
“A couple of people who were out walking their dogs rang me to say there was a kitten stuck in a bin in Muckross,” Deborah said.
“I got on to the local council then and they sent over someone to meet me at Muckross, so we went down to check all the bins and the woodland.
“I found the kitten in one of the bins looking at me, so we got the bin opened and we were able to get him out.
“He’s a lucky kitten because there are rodents and other wildlife in and out of the bin, so another couple of days and he might not have survived.
“I brought him home and took him to the vets, and the vet said there was no chance that the kitten would have been able to climb into the bin.
“I’ve been rescuing animals for over 30 years and this is the worst I’ve ever seen. It seems to be happening more and more and it’s just shameful.”
Such is the Kesh woman’s own love for animals, Deborah also has a pet-sitting business and she has been able to nurse Gismo back to health.
“The vet reckons that he may have been thrown into the bin from a moving vehicle due to his injuries.
“He’s coming around now, he’s a completely different kitten. At the end of the day they want love, and with a bit of that he’ll grow into a gorgeous cat.
“If anyone is getting pets for Christmas I’d advise them go into an animal shelter, because the amount of animals being abandoned is unreal.”
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