A disturbing number of pets are being abandoned across the city, including some thrown out like garbage, the Ottawa Humane Society says.
Since January, three cats have been found in boxes taped shut and left in dumpsters.
“Why someone would do this — whether it's absolute ignorance or whether it's something more sinister, I don't know,” said Bruce Roney, the executive director of the humane society.
Penalties for abandoning animals or mistreating them in other ways can include up to two years in jail, but Roney said abusers are rarely caught.
Responsible pet ownership begins with the decision to get one in the first place, he said. Not everyone who takes on a pet is able to care of it, which is why the cages of the Ottawa shelter are so full of animals in need of homes.
“You need to consider whether you have the time and whether you have the money to bring an animal into your life," Roney said.
And people who do get cats or dogs and later find they're a burden, don't have to toss them into the street or garbage.
“If they are intending on abandoning their pet, bring them here,” Roney said. “That's what the Ottawa Humane Society is for.”
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