Box of nearly a dozen kittens found abandoned beside Dartmouth dumpster

An abandoned rubber tote and cardboard box filled with 13 cats – 10 of them kittens – was found beside a dumpster in Dartmouth this week.

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According to the Nova Scotia SPCA, the cats were handed into their Dartmouth shelter on Tuesday.

The rescuer claimed to have found the cats on Highfield Park Drive.

“This is very frustrating to the SPCA because there is no need for abandoning animals and placing them in distress,” the SPCA said in a Facebook post on Thursday.

“Our shelter is just five minutes away and our doors are open for intake. The nursing moms and kittens were suffering from heat exhaustion and were quickly cared for by our staff.”

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The SPCA is still working to determine what kittens belong to which mother, but the cats are in good health and will soon be put up for adoption.

“Please DO NOT abandon any animal. There is always help. The SPCA does not judge, nor is any explanation required if you can no longer keep your pet,” the post reads.

The SPCA’s Facebook post on the matter has been shared over 1,000 times within four hours.

Anyone with information on the abandoned cats and kittens is asked to contact the SPCA.