UNITED KINGDOM – A pet owner has spoken out about her horror after her cat was shot with an air rifle.
Sarah Haywood, of Coach House Mews, Newhall, was shocked and distraught when she spotted 11-month-old Dexter limping through the door.
The 27-year-old nurse, who had returned home after picking up her four-year-old son from school, was unsure jusy what was wrong so took Dexter straight to Springwood Vets in Stapenhill. An X-ray showed that he had been shot right in the leg and it was touch-and-go as to whether the cat would have to have his leg amputated.
Miss Haywood stated: “I can’t actually believe that someone in the area would want to shoot a cat. I’m still in shock. The pellet completely shattered his leg.”
Dexter the cat almost lost his leg when he was shot with an air gun.
While the surgeons were trying to save Dexter’s leg, Miss Haywood’s partner, Lee Jones, who is 25, went door-to-door in the estate to find out if anyone had seen anything.
Miss Haywood stated: “Dexter doesn’t go very far when he is let out. He always comes back straight away when I give him a shout. It is a nice area. I don’t understand how anyone could do it.”
The veterinary surgeon luckily managed to save Dexter’s leg and inserted a plate to fix it. Now Dexter is confined to a cage for at least six months while he recovers from his operation.
Miss Haywood stated that she hoped that the culprits would be caught so it did not happen to anyone else. She went on to say: “It will be a long time for him to get back to the way he was. I don’t want him to go outside again. It’s not safe. He is a part of our family, people don’t think about the effect it will have on others when they do things. We need to make more people aware that this is happening.”
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