Are these the two women who dumped two cats at a pet store in Dewsbury, UK?

NEWS AND COMMENT: Remarkably, it appears that a couple of women dumped a couple of cats in a carrier which was taped up at the outlet of a well-known chain of pet stores called Pets at Home in the UK. This particular store is located in Dewsbury.

The cats were frightened but unharmed and they been taken by the RSPCA to their hospital, Greater Manchester Animal Hospital, for a check-up and routine deworming and de-fleaing treatments.

CCTV footage from the store has been passed to the RSPCA which shows a couple of women entering the store with the carrier at 3:06 PM and leaving within just minutes later at 3:09. In very much looks like that these are the people who dumped the cats. Here is the pic:

Are these the two women who dumped two cats at a pet store in Dewsbury, UK? Image: Pets at Home CCTV.

It is quite unusual if not rare to put faces to people who abandon cats in this kind of way. There are many ways to abandon domestic cats. It's unusual to abandon cats at a large pet store but I guess their thinking was that the cats would be found quite quickly and then taken by a rescue group to a vet and then be rehomed. That must have been there thinking actually.

So, perhaps we have to give them some credit for the fact that they didn't dump the cats on a quiet road in the countryside somewhere where they might have died quite quickly bearing in mind the sub-zero temperatures overnight in the UK at the moment.

The carrier was sealed up with tape. The cats apparently were healthy and in good condition. But neither were micro-chipped.

Although unlikely that anybody using the store will read this post, if you know anything about this incident then please contact the RSPCA on their appeals line number on 0300 123 8018.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.