RSPCA condemn "callous" shooting of "defenceless" cat in Benfleet
Rescue cat Echo was found with air rifle pellets in their head and jaw on July 25th
The RSPCA is appealing for information after a beloved family pet was shot in the head in Benfleet, Essex.
Ekho, a six year old former rescue cat, was spotted on the morning of Tuesday 25 July by neighbours who saw her under the garden table at her home In Stanley Road - in distress. She had only been outside for a few hours.
Ekho had her breakfast at around 6.30am and went outside with her son Loki. However just a few hours later at 10am the worried neighbours contacted Ekho’s family to say she was under the garden table and looked in a bad way.
The family rushed Ekho to a local vet for treatment where a CT scan was carried out and it was discovered poor Ekho had been shot in the head and vets sadly discovered two air gun pellets in her jaw and in her head.
Ekho’s owners then had to make the heart-breaking decision for her to be put to sleep to end her suffering as nothing more could be done to save her.
They said they are devastated and heartbroken by what has happened to their beloved Ekho- and that her son Loki is constantly looking for her and confused by why she is no longer there.
Cruelty on the rise
Heartbreakingly this is not the first cat that the family had had targeted - sadly 10 years ago their previous cat was also shot and had three pellets found in him - fortunately was lucky and did survive.
The incident comes as the RSPCA launches its Cancel Out Cruelty fundraising campaign which calls on the public to help support our frontline teams so they can save more animals during the busy summer months.
RSPCA animal rescue officer Jen Richardson said: “It is devastating to hear what happened to poor Ekho and our hearts go out to her owners.
“This was a callous and cruel attack on a helpless and defenseless animal and I am horrified by what has happened.
“The family wants to make as many people aware as possible and we are investigating this and would urge anyone with information to call the inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018 in confidence quoting incident 01121778 or the police quoting reference 42/133525/23.”
Cancel out Cruelty
The RSPCA receives hundreds of calls to investigate such cases every year and sadly cats and wildlife are usually most often affected.
The RSPCA has been campaigning to remove the loophole from firearm legislation which allows minors unsupervised possession of air weapons on private land, describing it as a ‘recipe for disaster’. The UK Government agreed with this proposal and in July 2022 undertook to amend the Firearms Rules 1998 to strengthen controls on access to airguns by minors, but this has yet to occur one year on.
Anyone caught deliberately using an air gun to injure an animal can face up to five years in prison and/or an unlimited fine if found guilty under the Animal Welfare Act.
Since the beginning of 2020 (up to May 2023), the RSPCA received 808* reports relating to animals being intentionally harmed with a weapon. Air guns and rifles were responsible for the bulk of the incidents, with 658 reports made to the charity; but weapons such as catapults and slingshots accounted for a combined 124 incidents while there were 34 calls to the RSPCA about crossbow incidents.
Shockingly, pet cats were also a prime target, with 262 cats deliberately attacked with weapons,
The charity has released the heartbreaking figures as part of its Cancel Out Cruelty campaign, in a bid to raise funds to help its frontline rescue teams continue to save animals from cruelty and abuse - like deadly weapon attacks.