PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A garbage collector found a kitten encased in spray foam in Hillsboro earlier this month.

A kitten was found in a trash can encased in spray foam in Hillsboro. (WCSO)

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office says the garbage collector was emptying a trash can on SW Minter Road when he noticed the contents were not emptying. He took a closer look and found the kitten hanging upside down from its back legs, covered in spray foam. He could hear it whining.

The driver took the garbage can and kitten back to the Hillsboro Garbage Disposal Facility and staff there worked to remove the spray foam. They then took it to a veterinarian.

The kitten is an 8-week-old male and is recovering at the Washington County Animal Services’ Bonnie L. Hays Small Animal Shelter.

The trash can came from a property with multiple units. Officials say the kitten likely belongs to one of two feral cats that live there and have kittens. The cats are owned by someone who lives in the area and help with rodent control.

Officials are investigating and say this was an act of animal cruelty. The kitten will be returned to its owner after the investigation is complete.