A Greater Manchester animal rescue charity has described an ‘appalling’ act of cruelty in which a washing basket full of kittens and cats was dumped, leaving them for dead.
Disturbingly, the adorable animals were cable-tied in to the laundry basket in the pouring rain.
They had no way to escape and would have starved to death were it not for some kind-hearted passers-by who spotted them.
In total, there were three adult cats and six tiny kittens crammed into the basket, ditched in the Greenbank Park area in Levenshulme.
Although initially it was feared that one of the kittens had been crushed to death, they are now all expected to make a full recovery.
But Kitty Rescue Bury has slammed the act of cruelty, saying it’s left the cats ‘traumatised and so scared’.
The basket of kittens was found in the bushes by workers at Coreline Fibre, who took them back to their workplace and called for help.
Kitty Rescue Bury said: “We are saddened and deeply disturbed by a recent incident. We were made aware yesterday that nine innocent cats were dumped in a washing basket.
“This act of cruelty is not only appalling but also unacceptable, and we urge people to reach out for help rather than resort to such inhumane actions.
A washing basket full of kittens has been found in Greater Manchester. Credit: Kitty Rescue BuryA washing basket full of kittens has been found in Greater Manchester. Credit: Kitty Rescue BuryA washing basket full of kittens has been found in Greater Manchester. Credit: Kitty Rescue Bury
“These poor cats were hidden away, abandoned and left for dead basically, in a terrifying situation.
“They were tucked away hidden in the bushes in the awful rain with no way to survive as they were cable tied in. If they were not found the consequences would have been dire they would have suffered and starved to death.
“They were fortunate that someone so went into the bushes and spotted them. Thankfully they were kind caring people so took the cats in the basket back to work with them an reached out for help.”
The Radcliffe-based charity added: “At Kitty Rescue Bury, we believe that every life matters. We are committed to providing a safe haven for cats in need and finding them loving forever homes.
“However, incidents like this highlight the desperate need for increased awareness and education about responsible pet ownership. It is vital for individuals to understand that there are alternative options available rather than abandoning defenceless animals.”
The kittens and cats after being rescued. Credit: Kitty Rescue Bury
The charity is urging people who are struggling to care for their pets to reach out to appropriate organisations for help, rather than taking such drastic measures as dumping the animals.
These include local rescue groups, vets, and similar organisations.
Kitty Rescue Bury has also appealed for donations to allow them to continue their work and to pay for the care of the abandoned cats.
You can donate through GoFundMe or via bank transfer (Kitty Rescue Bury, HSBC, 40-15-21, 91680579).
Anyone with dashcam or doorbell footage from the Mount Road/Greenbank Park area should get in touch with Kitty Rescue Bury.
Featured image: Kitty Rescue Bury
News
More than 100 ‘unsafe’ counterfeit Labubus seized in Oldham
Daisy Jackson
More than 100 counterfeit Labubus and accessories have been seized in Oldham, the council has announced.
The Labubu dolls – a plush collectible with giant smiles and bunny ears – have been seized because they are fake, and unsafe.
The haul of 104 Labubus has been given a street value of between £800 and £1000 – but if they were the real deal, they’d be worth more than three times as much.
The poorly-made figures were being sold for a fraction of the price of a real Labubu, which are manufactured by Chinese company Pop Mart (it’s set to open its second Manchester store in the Trafford Centre next week).
Oldham Council’s Trading Standards team said it seized the counterfeit Labubus from local businesses and found that they were unsafe and poorly made.
Officers raised concerns about the safety of the dolls, which had small parts such as eyes, hands and feet broke off easily, creating a choking hazard.
What a genuine Labubu should look like. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
They were also missing legally required safety marks such as the CE or UKCA labels, and lacked the name and address of a UK supplier, which is another legal requirement.
Councillor Elaine Taylor, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Licensing, said: “Oldham Trading Standards carries out regular checks to help keep unsafe products off the shelves. In this case, these counterfeit toys failed safety standards and have now been removed from sale.
“We know it can be tempting to buy toys that look like a bargain, but parents need to be extra careful. Fake toys like these may be cheaper, but they can put children in real danger if they’re not made to strict safety standards.
“If anyone has concerns about toys they’ve purchased, or if they see unsafe products on sale locally, we’d encourage them to get in touch with Trading Standards through the Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.”
Council publishes list of central Manchester roads set to be resurfaced this summer
Emily Sergeant
A list of roads in Manchester that are set to be resurfaced before the summer is out has been published.
Manchester City Council recently asked residents in the region what their priorities were for their community and what issues they wanted to see tackled – and for many, the answer was the quality of the road surfaces.
Since then, the Council says it has been ‘engaged’ in a long-running programme of improvement works throughout the borough.
Now, with just over a month of the summer season left, it has been confirmed that some vital resurfacing works are due to start over the coming weeks in north and central Manchester, bringing a range of improvements to key district roads along with it.
First up, from Saturday 9 August, Hollinwood Avenue is to be resurfaced.
The Council has published a list of Manchester roads that are set to be resurfaced this summer / Credit: MJ Richardson (via Geograph)
Anticipated to take six weeks to complete, this work will be carried out during weekend closures from 8am-5pm, with the road remaining open during the working week.
The closure area will be between Greengates Roundabout and the Oldham boundary at Owler Lane, and a signed diversion route will be in place while work is carried out, and access for residents will be maintained at all times.
Then, starting from Saturday 16 August, resurfacing works will begin on Moss Lane East, between Alexandra Road and Princess Road.
Work will take place between 7am and 5pm on weekdays, and 8am and 5pm on weekends, and during the works, the road will be completely closed – with a signed diversion route in place and access for residents maintained.
As always, disruption is expected and the public is encouraged to plan ahead / Credit: Mylo Kaye (via Unsplash)
These works are expected to take six weeks to complete, and as with all resurfacing projects, residents should expect some disruption and may need to plan ahead.
The Council is aiming to keep disruption to the public at a minimum, where possible.
“We know how important it is to our residents that key roads are well maintained, which is why were glad to be able to deliver this latest round of improvement works,” commented Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment, and Transport at Manchester City Council.
“I’d like to thank people ahead of time for their patience during the course of these works and would advise them to check when closures will be in place and where the diversions are.”
You can find more information on the resurfacing works on the Council website here.
Daisy Jackson -
17th July 2023 
