THE Scottish SPCA is appealing for information after a tiny hamster was found dumped in a shopping basket in a supermarket car park.
Scotland’s animal welfare charity was alerted after a member of the public spotted the helpless animal outside Asda on Watson Street, Motherwell, on Thursday afternoon.
The male roborovski hamster was inside an exercise ball which had been put in a plastic bag and left in a shopping basket.
He was collected by a Scottish SPCA inspector and taken to the charity’s Lanarkshire Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre, where he has been affectionately named Tom Thumb.
Inspector Sam McDonald said:
“Tom Thumb is very small, no bigger than two inches, and was understandably very frightened when he was found.
“The person who spotted him handed him in to staff at the supermarket who then contacted us so we can’t be sure whether the plastic bag had been tied or not.
“Regardless of this, abandoning Tom Thumb was an extremely cruel thing to do and whoever did this couldn’t have known he would be found by someone who would help.
“The supermarket is close to a residential area so it’s possible the person who dumped him lives nearby.
“Tom Thumb is still really nervous but is in good overall condition and we’ll soon be looking to find him a loving new home.”
Abandoning an animal is an offence and anyone found guilty of doing so can expect to be banned from keeping animals for a fixed period or life.
Anyone with information relating to this abandonment is being urged to contact the Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999.
