AN RSPCA officer has spoken of her distress at having to pull four deceased animals out of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in Bingley
A cat, a fox and a juvenile and adult pigeon were all found floating on the surface by a member of the public on Monday (January 16).
They were retrieved from the water by animal rescue officer Aleesha Haddlesey after the charity was alerted about the suspicious incident.
The animals were discovered within metres of each other in the canal at the point where the A650 meets Ferncliffe Road.
It is not known how the animals - who had no visible injuries - came to be in the water, or whether they were already dead when they entered the canal.
The deceased cat was black with a small patch of white fur between the back legs but was not microchipped.
Aleesha says it is "very unusual" to see so many animals close together and urged anybody with information to get in touch with the RSPCA's inspectorate appeal line.
She said: “It was a really shocking incident to attend and very upsetting to have to retrieve these poor animals from the water.
"Their faces were partly obscured by mud, but I couldn’t see any obvious signs of injury on any of them, so we’re unable to say how they might have died, or whether they were already dead by the time they went into the water - but the circumstances do seem suspicious.
“Sadly we do get calls about animals that have been found in canals, but it’s very unusual to have this many animals - both domestic and wild - found in close proximity to each other in the same location.
“We’re very keen to know how, and why, all these animals came to be in the canal as we think it's highly unlikely that they would have ended up in there by themselves.
"I would appeal to people who saw anything, or have information about this incident to call our inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018.”
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has existed since 1824.
It is the world's oldest and largest animal welfare charity, with the primary focus on rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming or releasing animals across England and Wales.
The charity's mission is to ensure animals have a good life by rescuing and caring for those in need.
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