The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is asking for the public’s help to identify the owner of a badly injured cat found abandoned in a cage in Richmond Hill.

A passersby found the carrying cage with two cats inside along a trail by Bond Lake, near Yonge Street and Old Colony Road, on Nov. 8 and brought the abandoned felines to the Humane Society of Durham Region (HSDR).

According to a news release issued by the OSPCA Thursday, a long-haired brown-and-white tabby cat was found suffering from “severe pain” due to a broken knee and a dislocated hip.

The OSPA said the cat’s injuries were so grave that a veterinarian with Lawrence Park Animal Hospital in Toronto was forced to amputate one of its legs. The cat, subsequently named ‘Tiny Tim,’ is currently recovering from the surgery.

The second cat, given the name ‘Ben,’ was uninjured and remains at the HSDR in good condition.

“It’s alarming that someone would abandon cats trapped in a crate, especially when one was in significant pain,” Alison Green, a senior inspector with the OSPCA, said in the news release. “If you find yourself in a position where you are no longer able to care for your animals, contact your local Ontario SPCA animal centre or humane society to discuss your options. You are obligated by law to provide for them.”

Though it’s not yet clear how the cat sustained the injuries, the OSPCA is appealing to the public for information about the incident and the owner of the cats.

Anyone with information is being asked to call the agency at 310-SPCA.