Kittens found in Oceano Dunes dumpster on Memorial Day — and they need a home

Two kittens were found in a dumpster at the Oceano Dunes on Memorial Day, officials said.

The kittens, who are about 4 to 5 weeks old, were turned over to State Parks lifeguards at the Grand Avenue entrance to the Oceano Dunes, according to State Parks Commander Kevin Pearce and Eric Anderson, the manager of SLO County Animal Services. The kittens were taken to an emergency animal hospital, where they remained for two days.

The kittens appeared malnourished and one of them was in critical condition, Anderson said.

“They’re responding well to treatment and are stable at this point,” Anderson said.

Anderson said it’s unclear whether the kittens were dumped by a person or a mother cat, especially since no one witnessed the kittens being placed in the trash.

“We find kittens all over the county. This is not an unusual event,” Anderson said. “It’s possible someone may have dumped them, but it’s also likely a community cat living in the area simply had a litter of kittens and these may be part of that cat’s litter.”

The kittens are now in foster care, where they will stay for the next month. They will be put up for adoption when they’re about 8 weeks old, spayed or neutered, and reach a healthy weight, Anderson said.

Anderson asked anyone who witnesses someone dumping animals to get a description of the person and the vehicle, call Animal Services at 805-781-4400 and select the option to report an animal-related problem.

This story was originally published May 30, 2019 at 3:30 PM.