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Abused cat found inside Vancouver Island dumpster

‘It’s very disturbing that there is an individual or individuals like this in our community’
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Some caring individuals remove tape that had been wrapped around Maya the cat’s head. (Facebook photo)

A couple of boys who were in the process of discarding an old chair discovered that a cat was inside a dumpster behind an apartment complex, Tuesday evening at 3102 13th St. in Courtenay.

When the the boys rescued the cat, they realized the animal was covered in oil and had duct tape wrapped around its head.

“My family and I were out swimming at the river at the time,” said Shane Rempel, who owns Maya. “An adult heard the commotion and got the duct tape off her head.”

With her vision restored, Maya bolted for the woods. Neighbours spent three hours searching for her until the family returned home.

“We found her hiding in some ferns with tape still around her neck,” Rempel said. “My wife Stephanie carried her home, and with the help from neighbours worked the tape off her neck and bathed her in Dawn dish soap.”

READ MORE: B.C. man pleads guilty to beating blind, partially deaf dog

The Kitty Cat PAL Society contacted the family, and helped clean the oil from Maya’s coat.

Rempel phoned the police, but the BC SPCA is investigating the matter.

“For Maya the cat, it has been very traumatic,” Rempel said. “And for us and the community, it’s very disturbing that there is an individual or individuals like this in our community.”

“This is obviously a very troubling incident, and we would certainly appreciate any information that anyone has about the people responsible,” said Kaley Pugh, BC SPCA regional manager for Vancouver Island.

Anyone with information can contact the SPCA call centre at 1-855-622-7722.

Those wishing for anonymity can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-822-8477.

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