Cat shot in the eye with crossbow arrow
Belfast, NI (UK)Date: Dec 25, 2005
Disposition: Open
Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!
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A kitten lost an eye and sustained sickening injuries after being shot with a crossbow. The kitten, dubbed Lucky, which is being treated in the Erne Veterinary Group centre in Ballinamallard, Fermanagh, was discovered with the injuries on December 25, 2005 and had an eye removed January 2, 2006.
The shocking news has sparked calls for tighter regulation of the sale of crossbows which have been used in several animal cruelty cases across the province. It is unclear whether the injury was inflicted deliberately. Vet Aoife Clancy treated the ailing animal and said it was one of the worst suspected cruelty injuries which she had dealt with. "The kitten was brought in over Christmas and the bolt from the crossbow had been removed by a local doctor, but there was a penetration wound at the back of the eye," she said. "The kitten was quite shocked and we assessed the degree of damage and decided the eye couldn't be saved.
"It was such a horrific way for it to happen. I can't see that it was an accident, I would think it would be quite difficult to hit a kitten in the eye by accident, it would seem more likely to have been deliberate." Residents in the village discovered the kitten and brought it to the clinic. "If it was an accident it was a very unfortunate one . . . the kitten is just six months old and very shocked. "It is an awful waste really," Ms Clancy added.
The USPCA has been campaigning for legislation on crossbows for some time. A spokesman said: "There is no legislation whatsoever surrounding these. The capacity of these things is much higher than a low-velocity hand gun and can kill a human being. "We have seen cases where swans, cats and even a horse have been shot. Our standpoint is that we want to make it easier for these weapons to be traced and we would like to see legislation. "We feel there should be some kind of limit on the ownership of crossbows and a system for registering them so that when this happens the owners are easier to find." Fermanagh Assembly member, Tom Elliott, who lives in Ballinamallard, said he would be pressing for fresh laws to be drawn up. "It would seem to be people from the younger generation who are using them and they don't have any real use in the wider community like shotguns which can be used for sport or controlling vermin," he said. References« Back to Search Results Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges. For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.
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