The kittens were “highly distressed” when they were found. Picture: NSW Police Force Facebook

On Thursday, a man found three kittens in a zipped leather bag hanging from the tow ball of his silver Pajero parked near a recycling centre in Lismore.

Just before midday, he attended a vet clinic in the town where the animals were taken in for emergency treatment. They had a temperature of 41 degrees and were highly distressed.

The bag the kittens were found in. Picture: NSW Police Force FacebookSource:Supplied

Police from Richmond Local Area Command were notified and commenced an investigation.

Officers would like to speak to the man who dropped the kittens at the vet and urge anyone with information to come forward.

Police are urging anyone with information in relation to this incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page. Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. We remind people they should not report crime information via our social media pages.

OVERHEATING

The kittens were lucky to survive in the leather bag in the heat — Amanda Diaz at the RSPCA says overheating can cause animals to suffer heatstroke, which can lead to organ failure and even death.

Pets that are elderly, overweight or suffering from a medical condition are particularly susceptible to heatstroke; so too are dogs with flat faces such as pugs, French bulldogs and English bulldogs.

It’s a timely reminder for people not to leave pets in hot cars.

“Even when the windows are down or the car is parked in the shade, these precautions are just not enough to stop your pet from overheating.

“One study found that when the outside temperature is a mild 22 degrees, the inside of a car can reach 47 degrees in just an hour.

“Dogs travelling on the back of utes can also burn their footpads or bodies on the trays, as these get extremely hot in the sun. If you see a distressed dog alone in a car, please call emergency services ASAP”.