Homeowners in south Dublin have been warned against scammers offering to remove stray cats from gardens and housing estates before dumping them in remote areas.

The DSPCA is investigating reports of groups offering to catch stray cats and take them to animal shelters where they can be cared for and neutered.

The scammers charge a fee for the service; however, the cats are then being brought to remote areas and abandoned.

DSPCA spokesperson Gillian Bird told Newstalk that some of the cats turning up in the countryside have been from domestic homes and were even wearing collars.

A rescued cat in Chelsea, New York, 15-06-2018. Image: Frances M. Roberts

“There does seem to be individuals going around taking advantage of people who want to get rid of cats from their housing estates and their back gardens,” she said.

“We have had reports of individuals in south Dublin actually abandoning cats out of the back of their van. We suspect they have actually been charging people a service to do this and people are unaware of what is happening to the animals at the end.

“They are just paying someone to remove them and these animals are then being dumped.”

Appeal

The DSPCA is appealing for any information on groups offering to remove stray cats for a fee.

“We have only got very, very sketchy information so what we would love to know is if anybody has dealt with companies offering to come and remove cats.

“We are also looking for information on anybody who might have seen any suspicious activity where people might have been seen dumping cats out of the back of vans – we know it goes on from time to time especially up in the hills and deserted areas.”

"Incredibly cruel"

She urged anyone with concerns about a stray cat to contact the DSPCA or another animal welfare charity.

“We know that people do this sometimes when they don’t want cats near the house but they have to understand that it is an illegal thing to do and it is also incredibly cruel because cats do rely on some sort of food source – be that from bins or from people feeding them,” she said.

“Abandoning an animal like that in an area like that where there is no food or into another cat’s territory is going to cause horrendous animal welfare issues.”

A stray cat in Istanbul, 02-06-2021. Image: unreguser/Xinhua News Agency/PA Images

She noted that it is normal for cats to wander.

“You do get cats getting lost from time to time so our basic advice is, just pay attention to the animal,” she said.

“If the animal appears to be sick or injured, by all means, ring the DSPCA and we will arrange to try and catch the cat.”

The DSPCA is looking for any information on the groups believed to be removing and dumping the cats – including descriptions of the people involved or the vans they were driving.