Three guinea pigs have been found dead behind a bus shelter in an Aberdeenshire town.
A member of the public discovered the deceased animals inside a Tesco plastic bag in Westhill on Monday morning.
The bag had been left behind a bus stop on Westhill Road.
After making the grim discovery, the person called the Scottish SPCA helpline.
Guinea pigs were malnourished
The animal charity carried out a post mortem and discovered all three guinea pigs were “malnourished”.
Now, they are appealing for information from the public.
Fiona Mackenzie, SSPCA inspector, said: “We received a call regarding three guinea pigs who had been found dead within a plastic bag behind a bus shelter.
“One of the guinea pigs was all white in colour, one was white with a black patch on their head and the other was black, tan and white.
“A post mortem was carried out and found that all three guinea pigs were in a malnourished state.
“If anyone recognises these guinea pigs or has any information surrounding their circumstances, they should call our confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.”