A kitten with horrifying burns to almost a third of its body has been dumped at Canberra's RSPCA.
RSPCA ACT is urging anyone with information about the white cat dumped on the shelter's doorstep just after 6pm on Thursday to come forward.
The animal, named Elsa by staff, was caged in a red crate with a pillow and covered by a towel.
CCTV footage shows a man and a woman leaving the kitten at the shelter and driving away in a sedan, which is believed to be white.
RSPCA ACT senior inspector Catherine Croatto has been able to speak with the man in the CCTV footage. He was seen on video with a female leaving the kitten in a crate outside the Weston Creek Shelter.
The kitten was allegedly found in the Stuart Flats area on Captain Cook Crescent in Griffith.
The owners of the kitten and how it sustained the injuries is still unknown.
It's not the first time a cat with severe injuries has been found by staff at the Weston Creek shelter, with a 10-week-old kitten abandoned in a nearby drain in February requiring a leg amputation.
One of nine five-week-old puppies found in a box in north Canberra in January was so badly beaten it had to be put down.
Chief executive Tammy Ven Dange said the kitten initially escaped the milk crate before staff could treat her.
"Unfortunately, we couldn't bring this story to the public any faster as the kitten escaped the milk crate when she first arrived," she said.
"Fortunately we were able to eventually catch her, and she is currently in stable condition under the care of our vet staff. She's currently going through a number of medical things to try and heal her body. She's certainly on a lot of pain medication."
Ms Ven Dange said she didn't know whether the kitten was accidently or deliberately burned.
She urged anyone who recognised the people in the video footage to come forward.
"We don't know if they're the finders or the owners but certainly our inspectors are looking for more information on this case so we can find out what happened to her," she said.
Despite the severity of the wounds, Elsa was expected to make a full recovery.
"You can tell because she's still purring," Ms Ven Dange said.
"We named her Elsa because she's a strong character and she's white just like the Frozen character.
"She's a beautiful animal. We'll re-home her once she's all better, that's for sure."
The white, domestic short-haired kitten is about six to nine months old and is not desexed. She was wearing a blue flea collar.
If anyone has information, contact RSPCA ACT inspectors on 0407 078 221.
