Heartless thugs horrifically maimed a pet cat by shooting it in broad daylight.
The incident took place last Wednesday evening in Armagh and as a result ‘Charlie’ had to have its leg amputated.
Maimed cat, Armagh
Speaking to Armagh I, Laura Belton, the cat’s devastated owner, said: “I had only adopted Charlie from the Pet Shop (her previous owner could no longer look after her) about a month ago. Charlie is an indoor cat, and was only ever outside for around 30 minutes before wanting back inside.
“She was still exploring her new surrounding so didn’t go far. We don’t have a cat flap yet, so I would let her come and go through the bedroom window.”
She added: “Charlie had been outside for around one hour last Wednesday when I heard scratching at the door at 9.30pm. I opened the door to find Charlie laying on the doorstep. She hopped through the door and fell straight away, then she slid herself under a cabinet.
“I saw that her front left leg was completely bent up over her ear and she looked terrified. I thought she must have caught it in something, and I rang to get my father in law to help. We wrapped her in a blanket and took her straight to the out of hours vet.
“The vet said it was one of the worst breaks he had seen, and he saw a puncture wound that made him think that Charlie had been attacked by a dog. He warned us that the leg might have to be removed, but that the small animal vet would x-ray in the morning and let us know.”
The next day Laura received a call from the vet to tell her shocking news that Charlie had in fact been shot.
There were shards of lead shot in the top of her leg, where it meets the body. The cat’s shoulder had been completely shattered and could not be reattached. Her entire leg and shoulder were amputated.
“I was deeply distressed and heartbroken to see my cat in so much pain, she is such a friendly animal and loved running around.
“The fact that Charlie made her way home to me meant that it must have happened close to the house – she was not able to walk and would not have been able to move very far. A cat’s natural instinct is to hide when they are injured. Furthermore, she had never wandered very far from the garden.
“It would have still been bright when the shot was fired. Who would knowingly shoot a cat that was wearing a bright red collar, on or near a family home? I believe that this was a sick and twisted individual, who should not be allowed to keep their gun license.”
“Will this person shoot another family pet, and how many other pets have they killed or injured?
“Someone must know who did this, and they are not handing them in. I hope that this persons family are ashamed of them, and make sure that they never use a gun again.
“We took Charlie home from the vets on Saturday. She is distressed having a cone around her neck to protect the stitches, and keeps walking into things. She has to take painkillers twice a day, and stays hidden under the bed. She is starting to recover, but will find it difficult to land safely as it was her front leg that was amputated.”
Anyone with information can contact police in Armagh or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111
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