BRUTAL injuries to a beloved pet cat have triggered a police investigation.
Barnard Castle’s Kevin Proffitt was stunned to find his 11-year-old feline Buster return to his Zetland Road home with only one eye last Thursday after he was struck by an air rifle pellet.
Emergency surgery prevented Buster from being put down but Mr Proffit was left upset by the ordeal.
“I’m not happy about it at all – the vet bill cost me £300 and I’m on a low income,” said Mr Proffitt.
“He’s a lovely cat and as soft as anything so it’s terrible what they’ve done.”
Buster roams around Dawson Road, Zetland Road and over the back on Kalafat.
He was missing on Wednesday last week before returning home with facial disfigurement on Thursday.
Mr Proffitt added: “His eye had just imploded – there was nothing left of it.
“He’s been stressed out – he’s not let me go anywhere near him.”
Buster has now returned home from the vets but has not ventured outside since he was hurt. Mr Proffitt keeps a number of cats with his wife, Tracy, and has lived on Zetland Road for 25 years.
The 60-year-old is living with throat cancer and said his pets were the among the only things which kept him going. Mr Proffitt added: “I kept an air rifle when I was young but I never used to go around doing things like this.
“I’d be so annoyed if they got away with it. We don’t want it to happen to anyone else or a bairn.”
PC Harry Marsh, from Barnard Castle Police, said he was investigating the suspected shooting.
He added: “We are making enquiries in the area – anyone with any information should contact the police.
“We take any matters of animal cruelty extremely seriously and we’d like to take positive action with anyone found discharging air weapons or firearms – particularly in public places where we have animals and the public.”
If you have any information, contact Barnard Castle police on 101.
