Woman who dumped cat in bin apologises
Updated on 25 August 2010
A woman who was caught on CCTV dumping a cat into a wheelie bin has apologised for her actions, describing them as a "split second of misjudgement".
Mary Bale issued a statement after facing an online backlash after she was filmed stroking the cat, before picking it up by the scruff of the neck and dropping it in the bin.
Four-year-old Lola was trapped inside the bin for 15 hours, before being discovered by her owners in the Stoke district of Coventry.
In a statement issued today, 45-year-old Ms Bale apologised for her behaviour and said she would co-operate with an ongoing RSPCA investigation.
"I want to take this opportunity to apologise profusely for the upset and distress that my actions have caused. I cannot explain why I did this, it is completely out of character and I certainly did not intend to cause any distress to Lola or her owners," she said.
"It was a split second of misjudgement that has got completely out of control.
"I am due to meet with the RSPCA and police to discuss this matter further and will co-operate fully with their investigations.
"I wish to reiterate that I am profoundly sorry for my actions and wish to resolve this matter to everyone's satisfaction as soon as possible."
Today she left home without commenting to the awaiting media. However she later told a journalist: "Of course I'm sorry. It was not intended to cause any harm to anybody and I apologise for any inconvenience and distress."
Ms Bale was filmed dropping the cat into the wheelie bin by a CCTV camera operated by the animal's owners.
The footage was posted on Facebook, sparking angry responses online.
Hundreds joined groups on the site, including one entitled "catch the evil ***** who put the cat in the bin", and many have posted threatening messages about the woman depicted in the CCTV.
Today Facebook removed the site, saying it had broken its terms of use.
West Midlands Police described some of the comments as "inflammatory and offensive".
Lola's owner Stephanie Mann yesterday had appealed for calm and urged people not to take "matters into their own hands".
