Something very disturbing is occurring:
Nala lost the use of her leg and suffered a fractured vertebrae
An RSPCA appeal for information has been launched after a cat was shot with an air rifle in a village in Dorset.
The attack happened on June 14 between 7:30am and 8:40am in the Naomi Close area of Mosterton when Nala was shot in the back, which caused a fracture to a vertebrae and left her unable to use her back left leg.
The distressing incident has also prompted the charity to renew their call for better education and explanation of the law being given to anyone buying an air gun.
RSPCA Animal Rescue Office Kathryn Barnes, who is investigating for the animal welfare charity, said: “We’re very concerned that there’s someone out there deliberately targeting animals and we really don’t want any other animal or owner to experience this.
“It’s understandably been very distressing for Nala’s owners to learn that their cat has been shot and it has caused considerable pain and injury. The vet had to leave a couple of shards near her spine, as they didn’t want to cause more damage, but they took out the .22 pellet and she is now recovering from her horrific ordeal at home.”
The RSPCA is now appealing for anyone with information to get in touch with them. If you saw or heard anything unusual around the area please contact the RSPCA’s inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018, quoting incident reference: 01548800
Kathryn added: “Every year the RSPCA receives almost 1,000 calls to investigate cases and help hundreds of animals that are the victims of air gun attacks.
“Cats and wildlife are the animals most susceptible to being shot simply because they are out in the open with no one to protect them. Sadly, air gun attacks are not rare and the injuries caused can be horrific and often fatal.
“We want to see a world where every kind of animal is treated with compassion and respect and deliberate and brutal acts of cruelty should be consigned to the past.
“We continue to call for tighter controls on air weapons. This, along with better education and explanation of the law when buying an air gun, and requirements that everyone must receive basic safety training before being allowed to walk out of the shop could help relieve the problem.”
The incident comes as the animal welfare charity this week released startling new statistics as part of its Summer Cruelty Campaign– showing the side of this season which many people don’t see – when animal cruelty reports peak.
In June, July and August last year across England and Wales the RSPCA took 34,401* cruelty calls to their emergency line – compared to 25,887* the year before – showing an increase by a third.
On average it took 374 reports of cruelty against animals every single day during this period, or one call every two minutes the line was open. And in Dorset, the number of cruelty reports over the summer months increased from 290 (2023) to 315 reports last year – an 8% increase.
Summer should be a season of joy for animals. Long walks on golden evenings. Zoomies on the beach. Stretching out in the garden to soak up the sun. But there’s a side to summer you don’t see. For thousands of animals, it’s a season of pain, fear and suffering, when cruelty peaks. Support the RSPCA’s Summer Cruelty Appeal at: rspca.org.uk/endcruelty
