Kittens that were reportedly dropped onto Prospect Road in Hatchet Lake, N.S., Thursday morning were quickly rescued by members of the community.

A social media post brought out dozens of people along the busy highway just after 10 a.m.

“I saw on Facebook that somebody from this area had thrown three kittens out of a vehicle in the ditch, and I am a major animal lover, and it just broke my heart," said volunteer Kim Peddle.

The first one to report the kittens was a Halifax Transit bus driver on his way home from work. He tells CTV News he saw the kittens about a block and a half apart on the road, dropped right on the centre line.

The driver says it looks like they were dropped out of a driver's side window. At least three soon scrambled off into the woods for shelter.

The first one discovered was brought to Belinda Swanson, who’s known locally as a volunteer animal rescuer.

“In the area I'm in, at least every few months, there's something being dumped or abandoned," said Swanson.

No one seems to know who abandoned the kittens. Most of the searchers were furious they were taken away from their mother and left for dead.

"They just don't want to think any further, but it doesn't make the problem go away. It doesn't make the world better," said Swanson.

The kittens are being cared for by the Purple Cat Society and will be taken to a veterinary clinic for a check-up.

The search continues for the others.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ron Shaw.