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But when staffers heard saw movement and heard cries coming from a backpack on a conveyor belt at the Burlington County Recycling Center, they knew this wasn't trash.
To their shock and surprise, three small kittens were inside the bag.
They had apparently been placed in the backpack and abandoned in a recycling container.
Miraculously, the cuddly kittens survived getting dumped into a recycling collection truck and then loaded onto the conveyors at the recycling center.
The youngsters were lucky to be alive and all three ended up being adopted by a worker at the recycling center and the Marshall Family, of Burlington Township.
The Board of Chose Freeholders delivered three gift bags from the and the Burlington County Animal Shelter with pet toys and supplies and to help the adopters care for their new family members.
The Animal Shelter will also provide free spay and neutering for the three rescues.
“The holidays certainly came early for these three lucky kittens,” said Freeholder Director Felicia Hopson.
“While abandoning animals like this is unconscionable and those responsible should be prosecuted, our entire Board was relieved to learn the kittens were unharmed and that they now have new homes with loving families."
While this story had a happy ending, Hopson cautioned that abandoning pets is cruel and inexcusable since the Burlington County Animal Shelter accepts surrenders.
“While it’s heartbreaking for any family to have to surrender a pet, our Animal Shelter is a safe haven and will take them in no questions asked,” she said. “Our shelter has taken in more than 1,700 cats and more than 700 dogs this year.
"They’ve helped reunite more than 300 lost dogs and cats with their owners and facilitated the adoption of more than 960 cats and 316 dogs. Each of those adoptions is another happy ending, which is why we’re so proud to support the shelter’s work.”
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