A 2-year-old cat has had to be put down after being shot by a pellet gun in Oak Bay.
On Sunday, September 1st, Briggs the cat returned home to his owner on Deal Street and appeared to be very ill.
See also: Family cat undergoes amputation after being shot in North Saanich
Upon taking him to the vet, it was discovered that Briggs had been shot by what appeared to be a pellet gun. The cat’s injuries were severe enough that he had to be euthanized.
In a Facebook post, owner Joelene Heathcote writes, “When we took him to the vet, x-rays showed he had been shot in the belly with a pellet gun and had suffered blunt force trauma to his body and his insides were ruptured.”
Oak Bay Police and Animal Control investigated the incident and, according to a statement by police, have conducted extensive neighbourhood inquiries but to no avail.
“We believe someone knows who did this and we encourage them to call us or to call Crime Stoppers,” says Deputy Chief Ray Bernoties.
“We don’t know the motive but we’re aware that, at times, some residents can be unhappy about cats being in their yard so that is certainly one possibility, among others.”
See also:
- SPCA launches investigation after cat shot 5 times with pellet gun in Nanaimo
- Vancouver Island cat has leg amputated after being shot with a pellet gun
Animal Control says there had been no similar incidents in the area and there are no suspects at this time.
“The person who assaulted my pet lives in our Oak Bay neighbourhood and is likely doing this to other animals. Anyone who has information on the individual who did this terrible thing, is urged to contact Oak Bay Police,” says Heathcote.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Oak Bay Police at (250) 592-2424 or call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at +1 800-222-8477.
Last month, a family cat in North Saanich had to undergo amputation after being shot by what is believed to be a .22 calibre firearm.
Around the same time, a cat in Nanaimo suffered extensive injuries after being shot by a pellet gun five times.
