Police investigating after cat found inside a dumpster, dog found deceased in a ditch in western Quebec

Police in western Quebec say a black cat with a white spot was found in a dumpster on Old Chelsea Road in Chelsea, Que on May 2. (MRC des Collines de l'Outaouais police/release)

Police in western Quebec are investigating two separate cases related to a cat found in a dumpster and a dog found deceased in a ditch earlier this month.

On May 2, a resident in Chelsea discovered a cat inside a dumpster on Old Chelsea Road. The MRC des Collines de l'Outaouais police said the resident observed a driver backing up an SUV near the waste dumpster at 1:25 p.m. and saw the man toss a "strangely shaped bag" in the bin.

When the resident went to check what was in the dumpster, they discovered the bag was moving.

"They then opened the bag and discovered the animal still alive," police said.

The one-year-old cat was checked by a nearby veterinary clinic and was adopted the next day by one of the witnesses to the incident.

Police say the suspect is described as a white man, between the ages of 40 to 50 years old. At the time, he was wearing a red cap, glasses and dark pants, according to police. The vehicle is described as a Ford Escape with no licence plate on the front.

Police in western Quebec are looking to identify the driver of this SUV after a cat was found in a dumpster on Old Chelsea Road in Chelsea, Que. on May 2. (MRC des Collines de l'Outaouais police/release)

On May 11, police received a call for a dog found deceased inside a cage that was discovered on Chemin Pontbriand in Lac des Loups.

"Depending on the condition of the animal, it is possible to assume that it had been in this location for a few days," police said. "But everything suggests that it is a young brown dog."

Anyone with information on either case can contact police at 819-459-2422, ext. 3262.