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Tauranga cat shot with air rifle is the second injured in recent
months
(HTM) Source
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Christopher Williams' beloved cat Sophy was shot with an air rifle in
Tauranga.
A "horrified" Tauranga pet owner is seeking justice for his beloved
cat who was shot with an air rifle and badly injured.
A veterinarian says it is the second cat in the area to be treated
after being shot in as many months, with the other one losing an eye.
Judea resident Christopher Williams said his cat Sophy was injured on
April 11 while he and his partner were at work.
Sophy was happy and well after being fed around 6am, Williams said,
and he and his partner headed to work about 7.15am.
Just half an hour later, his partner's mother called to say Sophy was
injured and distressed.
Williams returned home and took her to the vet, suspecting she had
been in a fight.
"We had to wrestle poor Sophy from under a bed and into a cat carrier.
She was visibly pained and limping badly with a clotted injury on her
left shoulder."
The vet surmised Sophy had been shot and this was confirmed when an
X-ray revealed an air rifle pellet in her left scapula had fractured
the bone.
Christopher Williams' cat Sophy was shot with an air rifle on April
11. The pellet with a ballistic tip (as shown) partly shattered the
cat's left shoulder blade.
"[The vet] removed the shot pellet and the ballistic tip along with a
mass of hair and tissue. We picked up our drowsy, sore and rather
miserable cat later that day."
Williams said the vet told him it was a hunting rifle pellet.
He said he and his partner were "shocked and horrified" anyone would
shoot a cat and the incident had caused them and Sophy "a lot of
distress".
After a "difficult few days" and a course of pain medication, Sophy
was "almost back to normal".
Williams said fortunately they had pet insurance otherwise the vet
bill would have been more than $2300.
Another cat in Williams' neighbourhood had also been shot in recent
months and lost an eye. That cat was treated at the same clinic as
Sophy.
"We have two other cats and fear the person responsible for these two
shootings could strike again if not caught, and we urge anyone with
information to come forward to the police."
Vetcare Bethlehem clinic veterinarian Dr Marcus Dean said Sophy
presented with a "traumatic" puncture wound in her shoulder area and
her left forelimb was lame.
"X-rays confirmed the presence of an air rifle pellet that shattered
part of Sophy's shoulder blade and the pellet was lodged deep into the
shoulder blade. Had the pellet not hit the shoulder blade it would
likely have travelled into the chest cavity and caused life-
threatening trauma to the vital organs of the chest."
Vetcare Tauranga veterinarian Dr Marcus Dean treated a cat who had
been shot in the shoulder.
Dean said Sophy was given a general anaesthetic and was in surgery for
more than an hour to remove the pellet and fur in the wound. .
The pellet was found to have a ballistic tip used for hunting rather
than a flat-top pellet used for target practice and Dean said this
type of pellet caused more damage.
He said a cat from the same neighbourhood was treated at the clinic on
February 12 for an "acute traumatic" head injury which included a
penetrating injury to its eye and a shattered tooth.
"No pellet was found. On X-rays, the injuries all lined up in a
straight line. This is consistent with a projectile passing through
and exiting the body. Due to the damage, the eye could not be saved
and was surgically removed."
An SPCA spokeswoman said the organisation had not received a formal
complaint about the shootings, which meant the organisation was not
able to pursue a line of inquiry.
The spokeswoman said depending on the circumstances and proven facts,
under the Animal Welfare Act 1999 an offender could face a charge of
wilful ill-treatment of an animal with a maximum penalty of five years
in prison, a fine of $100,000, or both.
A police spokesperson said police acknowledged the "distress" of the
incidents but the investigation had no further leads despite area
inquiries.
"We have also not been able to confirm the validity of other reports
of this nature at the time in the area."
The police urged people to report any unusual or suspicious behaviour,
or incidents of concern, by calling 111 or phoning 105 after the fact.
**Sandra Conchie** **is a senior journalist at the** _ **Bay of
Plenty Times**_ **and** _ **Rotorua Daily Post**_ **who has been a
journalist for 24 years. She mainly covers police, court and other
justice stories, as well as general news. She has been a Canon Media
Awards regional/community reporter of the year.**
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