CORTLAND, N.Y. (WHCU) – A reward has been offered for information about an abandoned cat in Cortland.

On Thursday morning, Cortland County SPCA (CCSPCA) employees found a cat in a carrier on the front steps of the facility in freezing temperatures. The cat was cold, underweight, and had an open wound on its neck. CCSPCA officials say the person or persons who left the cat could and should have contacted the on-call investigator for the facility for assistance, or brought the cat in during business hours, free of charge. The cat has been examined and is being treated.

Veterinarians maintain that anything below 45 degrees is too cold for animals to be kept outside, and an SPCA Law Enforcement Department spokesperson says the conditions the cat was left in could warrant criminal charges. The New York State Humane Association is offering $1,000 for any info that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person involved.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the CCSPCA investigator at (607)423-5145.