Target: Mark Webster, Chief Constable, Humberside Police, East Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Goal: Identify whoever sealed two cats inside a taped laundry basket and abandoned them dehydrated and distressed, then pursue appropriate penalties.
Two adult cats were discovered trapped inside a plastic laundry basket hidden in undergrowth beside a public pathway. Multiple layers of heavy packaging tape secured the lid shut. Inside the dark, poorly ventilated container, the animals were huddled together and suffering from acute dehydration, extreme hyperventilation, and severe distress.
A municipal worker discovered the basket and alerted rescuers. Both cats were transferred for emergency veterinary treatment, where they received intensive fluid therapy and medical examinations. Fortunately, they survived and are now recovering in temporary foster care. Neither animal had a microchip or tracing collar, making it difficult to determine where they previously lived.
No suspect has been identified. Investigators should examine available surveillance recordings, seek witnesses, and evaluate any useful physical evidence recovered from the basket and packaging materials. Someone knows how these cats ended up sealed inside a container from which they could not escape. Find whoever abandoned them and pursue appropriate legal consequences if criminal cruelty or abandonment is established.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Chief Constable Webster,
Two adult cats were found trapped inside a laundry basket concealed in undergrowth near a public pathway. The lid had been secured with multiple layers of heavy packaging tape. When discovered, the animals were acutely dehydrated, hyperventilating, and severely distressed inside the poorly ventilated container.
No suspect has been identified. Please ensure that investigators pursue relevant CCTV footage, witness accounts, and any forensic evidence recovered from the basket or tape. Tracing the cats’ previous home could also help establish how they reached the pathway and whether other animals may require protection.
These cats survived, but they had no way to remove the tape or escape their confinement. Please identify whoever abandoned them and pursue meaningful penalties if the evidence establishes criminal animal cruelty or abandonment. Their rescue should not close this case. It should intensify the effort to find the person responsible.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Emma
