HOW could they?
That's the question animal rights charity workers have been asking since this little kitten was found starving and trembling at the side of a Donegal road.
The kitten - around seven weeks old - was found in Convoy at the weekend.
"We do not think he would have survived one more day, as he is totally emaciated, had pale gums and was riddled in fleas," said spokesman for Donegal Pet Rescue.
"He was so starving he could not control his bowels as the food was being eaten, it was going straight through him.
"Amazingly though, he is a sweet little baby, obviously had been socialised and handled by humans."
The lip injury could have been caused by a car, though the charity is unsure.