A guinea pig has been found abandoned outside an east London tube station, with a note reading: “I need a new owner.”
Staff at Canning Town station discovered the animal, which has been named DiscoPig, alone inside a cage with the piece of paper taped to it.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) described the dumping of the pet as “an incredibly cruel thing to do”.
The charity said the rodent, which it said was between six and 12 months old, had been left in a vulnerable situation and needed to be around other guinea pigs. It urged anyone with information about what happened to get in touch.
“A guinea pig can develop abnormal behaviour and may suffer if they are left without company of other guinea pigs,” the RSPCA inspector Shahnaz Ahmad said.
“He seemed healthy and well cared for,” added Ahmad, who collected the animal and took him to an RSPCA centre. “It’s very sad that someone has abandoned their pet in this way.
“We encourage people to reach out to local animal welfare charities for help with pet care, rather than leaving them in a vulnerable situation like this.
“Abandoning pets in such a manner is an incredibly cruel thing to do and never the answer. If anyone has information we would ask them to contact the RSPCA’s appeal line, confidentially on 0300 123 8018.”
Station staff discovered the cage in an alleyway, where there was no CCTV, at about 4.20pm on 18 February. The pet will soon be available to rehome from the RSPCA, along with a mate.