An owner of Auckland cat Toby is "disgusted" that someone dumped him in a plastic bag on a city beach.
Howick resident Roxanne Jensen had almost given up hope that her beloved Toby was alive after he had been missing for nearly a month.
Toby was last seen by Jensen in late April at their home on Finnerty Avenue and wasn't found until the evening of May 18, 4km away at Cockle Bay Beach.
Jensen's husband received a call on May 19 from the woman who found Toby dumped and wrapped up in a plastic bag on the beach.
Jensen said Toby was "extremely skinny" when he was returned to her and is now walking a bit funny "almost like he's drunk".
"The thing that bothers me the most is that he still has his collar on with his id tag so I don't understand why whoever picked him up and did that to him just didn't ring us as we would have gone and got him."
Jensen said she thinks Toby was taken as she said he had wandered off before but for no longer than five days.
She has a strong message for whoever dumped Toby in the bag on the beach.
"I hope you get your karma," she said.
"It's just disgusting, how could you treat an animal like that… it's just disturbing and you need help."
Jensen said that taking Toby to the vet is out of the question as her financial situation does not allow for herself or her husband to afford the cost of bills.
She added that she has now bathed her beloved cat, wormed him and is going to give him some flea treatment when his fur has dried to help with his recovery.
Jensen posted messages on several community groups on Facebook asking for people to keep an eye out for Toby.
She claimed the woman who rescued Toby had found another abandoned cat on the beach before but said it had to be put down because they could not find the owners and it had not been microchipped.
"It's really important that people get their cat microchipped and tagged so if they do go missing, someone who finds them can ring them [the owners]."
Toby is known for his playful, energetic and loving personality and Jensen said he is great with children.
Jensen told Newshub that Toby is very special to her as she was gifted him three years ago after she had just suffered a miscarriage.
The person or people who dumped Toby have not been found.
