Cat is shot four times in Littlemoor

7:47am Wednesday 7th January 2009

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A WOMAN whose cat was used ‘as target practice’ and shot four times with an air rifle is appealing to other cat owners to stay vigilant.

Jackie Alvey, of Canberra Road, Littlemoor, said she spotted a lump under the skin of her black-and-white cat, Sweep, and when she took her to the vets, three more lead pellets were discovered.

Mrs Alvey said: “At first we thought it was a fatty cyst but then Sweep became very lethargic and her stomach swelled up. We took her to the vets and an X-ray showed four air gun pellets all in different places.

“One pellet had gone through her abdomen and caused a bad infection.”

Four-year-old Sweep was rushed into surgery at Castle Veterinary Clinic in Dorchester after the attack.

The operation cost Sweep’s family £500 and Mrs Alvey wants to warn other cat owners someone with an air gun may be out there.

Mrs Alvey, who is a care assistant, said: “We’re not sure when it happened because Sweep’s a bit of a wanderer.

“She came home after a few weeks away and that’s when we found the lump.

“We’ve got lots of fields by us and Teddy Bear Woods. I want people to be aware that there’s somebody around with an air rifle and they basically used my cat as target practice. One shot could have gone astray but not four.”

Jeremy Wright, the vet who operated on Sweep, warned that air gun attacks could cause serious damage.

He said: “The thing that was unusual in this case was that rather than settle under the skin the pellets had gone through the abdomen and caused a very nasty infection.

“A few months ago we had a case from Weymouth where an air pellet had entered a cat’s spine and paralysed it.

“I don’t think I’ve seen any others in that time but two a year is more than we’d hope to see.”

Sweep’s attack has been reported to Dorset Police who alerted the local Safer Neighbourhood Team.

A police spokesman said: “It’s an offence to cause injury or unnecessary suffering to any animal.”

He urged anyone with information to contact us on 01305 222222.

Attack condemned

MEMBERS of the South Dorset branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) have condemned the ‘abominably cruel’ attack.

President of the branch, Geoffrey Matthews said: “We’ve had this happen before in Beaminster several years ago.

“It happens very rarely, thank goodness, because it’s a terribly cruel thing to do.

“However much you disapprove of cats, whether they scare birds away from your garden or whatever, this is abominably cruel.

“There are other ways to discourage cats than shooting the poor things. Some people are extremely callous.

“It really is sick and appalling but, unfortunately, there are still cruel people like this around, which is why the RSPCA is still in existence.”

Jennifer Gladwyn-White, fundraising officer for the branch, said: “There should be a lot more control of air rifles as they can be really quite dangerous to people and animals.”