Rude note left with kittens abandoned at vets

"Irresponsible" owners not only dumped their unwanted kittens outside an East Auckland vet clinic but left an unpleasant note for staff  with them.

The note read “The price of desexing at vets is stupid, f*** you they are yours now” and was stuck to the top of the kittens' sealed storage container dumped outside Bucklands Beach Veterinary Clinic.

Clinic vet nurse Sophie Joyce-Maggs told TWN there were several organisations which offered desexing at a reduced cost, such as the SPCA, but it highlighted a critical need to address issues surrounding responsible pet ownership.

“It is a privilege to own a pet and to witness irresponsible pet ownership is sad."

Vet Lianne Mellin said on the clinic's Facebook page it was "lucky they (the kittens) were still alive" as they had been left without food or water in the sealed container with little fresh air.

"It's so upsetting to read the note that was left with them," she wrote.

Terrified kittens abandoned in a storage container. Photo: Bucklands Beach Veterinary Clinic

While she appreciated the owners' intended to get them desexed, and understood 'life happens' which may affect affordability of vet care, vets were not government-funded and still needed to make a living.

Joyce-Maggs said the while the cost of living issue faced by pet owners can be a contributing factor to desperate actions the clinic still relied on earning a living to sustain the practice.

“Compassion does not pay our wages”.

Reactions to the Facebook  and Instagram posts were of sympathy and outrage at the lack of responsibility.

"Wow! Just Wow… some people’s ability to blame others for their problems never ceases to amaze me," wrote one.

The kittens were taken to SPCA promptly and provided with the care and attention they needed.

The SPCA National Desexing Programme Snip ‘n’ Chip provides pet owners subsidised desexing and microchipping. The Aotearoa-wide programme helps to prevent unwanted litters and lost animals, as part of the organisation's aim to encourage responsible pet ownership and ensuring the safety of animals in local communities..