Four ginger kittens were found in a pillow case in Hawke's Bay. Photo: Supplied / SPCA
Warning: This story discusses details of animal cruelty.
Four kittens dumped in a pillowcase by the side of a Hawke's Bay road are in need of a foster home.
SPCA manager for Napier and Hastings Joy Walker said the kittens - christened Merlot, Brut, Shiraz and Sauvignon - were lucky to be found.
While they were not yet ready for adoption, Walker said they were in need of a temporary home to free up space for more vulnerable animals expected to arrive daily.
The SPCA was particularly desperate for foster families at this time of year, she said.
Throughout the country, its shelters have the highest number of animals in care for November and December since 2018.
SPCA chief executive Gabby Clezy said many people who foster usually want to return animals to take a holiday.
"Fostering is incredibly rewarding on so many levels.
"Being in a shelter can be stressful and some of our animals don't cope as well as others, so spending time in foster care is hugely beneficial. It teaches them social skills and their first experience of what a home environment is like."