ANOTHER beloved pet has lost its life after being shot with a pellet gun in Felixton on Monday.
Mother of two, Claire Balmer found her 11-month-old kitten, Sparky, in agony after being shot in the stomach.
Claire’s young sons, Ethan and Daniel were devastated at the sight of their playful pet as she managed to drag her injured body into their garden at about 11am on Easter Monday.
It is unclear as to when the kitten had been shot or how long she had suffered. After being rushed to the Empangeni SPCA, she was later euthanised owing to the extent of her injuries.
‘Our kitten came home dragging its back legs behind it, meowing in pain, bleeding from her stomach. And then I had to explain to my two little boys why I had to take her to get put to sleep,’ said Balmer.
‘I don’t know what kind of person would even think about shooting a kitten with a pellet gun, I’m not even too sure they think at all,’ she said.
Empangeni SPCA Senior Inspector Roland Fivas said the number of such cases has increased and weapons now range from pellet guns to paintball guns and hand catapults.
‘This is plain cruelty. What do these cruel people want out of this?’
‘The gloves are off now and when we find the culprits, there is no holding back. We are going to set the example and take serious action,’ Fivas said.
This is not the first case. A number of reported incidents have left cats, dogs, monkeys and a number of birds with critical wounds, of which most have led to death.
Following a post on social media about the tragic incident, the public’s reaction was one of shock and disappointment.
Pat ‘Saunders’ Ellis said, ‘So sorry Claire. Sick people in this world who have no feelings for defenseless animals. Sad that your children had to see this. Pellet guns should be banned.’
Phyllis Aitken said, ‘Terrible, so sad that we have such cruel people among us.’
‘Absolutely disgusting, we had a neighbour shoot our beloved cat in Empangeni a few years ago. Incredible that people can be so heartless and cruel,’ posted Michon Helen Sloley.
