A cat was left riddled with more than 20 pellets after being shot in the face.
Elderly black-and-white tomcat White Toes had to be put down on a vet’s advice after being found with the pellets in his eye, head, neck and lungs.
The cat was well loved and a familiar sight in his home village of Weybread, Suffolk, police said.
He went missing on Wednesday, May 6 and was not found until Saturday, May 9, after he had been shot in the face.
Officers from Halesworth Police, who are investigating the crime, said “it appears the cat was shot facing the shooter”, and urged anyone with information to contact them on 101 quoting crime reference number 37/25906/20.
Residents have expressed their anger and sympathy for the cat and his owner, with one Weybread resident saying: Disgusting! What’s wrong with some cruel people out there?”
Another said: “Poor cat and poor owners. Really hope the shooter is found and held accountable. It’s a firearms offence so should carry a very lengthy sentence.”
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