Two kittens killed after being thrown from a moving car in Southbourne

The kittens were found by members of the public along a stretch of the A259 between the Co-op and the church. Staff claim there may have been other kittens found nearby at the same time, shortly after 9am on Monday, May 22, but that they may have been taken in by passers-by.

The two kittens, thought to be about eight weeks old, were injured when residents first discovered them, but died before they could be taken to a nearby vet practice. The vet who tended to them said they had head injuries consistent with being thrown from a moving vehicle at speed and reported the matter to the RSPCA.

Animal officer Marie Stevens, who attended the practice as part of her investigation, said: “This is a really upsetting incident which all took place very suddenly during rush hour on a busy stretch of road through the village. The CCTV in the area unfortunately doesn’t pick up the incident itself, but we believe that it happened at around 9am as you can see cars slowing and stopping at that time. We are asking anyone driving in the area at that time to please get in touch, especially if they have dashcam footage, as we may be able to piece together what happened and who the perpetrators are.

“We believe they were thrown from a car as they were found in different locations along the stretch of road at around the same time. Some very kind members of the public collected the kittens and took them to a vet practice literally yards from where they were discovered. A vet has confirmed that their injuries are consistent with being thrown from a moving vehicle. It happened so quickly that one witness said one kitten suddenly appeared as if from nowhere.

“This horrifying incident has affected lots of people who were in the area. It happened close to a supermarket, a hairdressers, a pet shop and the vet practice where the kittens were taken and sadly pronounced dead on arrival.

“We believe there may have been more kittens found. One was definitely taken in by a member of the public and we hope to talk to them about what they may have seen.”

Incidents like these are increasingly common, the RSPCA has said, with the rate of cruel abandonment of pets continuing to increase. Last month alone, the RSPCA received 1,508 reports of animal abandonment; a nearly 10 per cent increase on last year’s statistic for the same period.

Some suspect that the increase in abandonment might come as a result of rising pet costs and the increased of cost of living. To help, the RSPCA has launched a cost of living hub to provide help and support to pet owners struggling to pay their bills. Among the services on offer are maps to local pet food banks and an on-call advice team. Visit RSPCA.org.uk for more.

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