LettersOpinion

Mens wat diere skiet sal vervolg word

DBV sal mense aankla as hulle gevang word.

SECUNDA – Dr Estie du Plessis made a shocking discovery when she got home on Sunday, 17 November when she found her 12-year-old Blue Oriental cat in her garden after he was apparently shot with a pellet gun.

She wondered who in her neighbourhood would do something like this.

“Adam is no ordinary cat and has quite a character,” said Dr Du Plessis.

“He can play fetch and always humours me with his playful jokes and talking attics, he has got an answer for everything.

“He is well loved and known by all my friends and house workers.

“Adam was neutered as a youngster and is an old cat by now.”

Dr Du Plessis has been living in Secunda for three years and said her cat was not the roaming type.

“My heart was broken when I arrived home and found Adam lying in the flowerbed, unable to move.

“He was covered in blood and smelled cetotic, I could tell that he was in shock,” she said.

After she could not get hold of the local veterinarians, she rushed Adam to Pretoria.

The veterinarian there stabalised Adam with a drip and morphine.

“The X-rays revealed a shattered front leg with severe nerve damage.

“The orthopaedic surgeon amputated his left front leg at the shoulder joint on Monday, 18 November.

“What mystifies me is that somebody living in our neighbourhood could do this.

“Adam was shot with either a compressed air shotgun, but most probably with a .22 rifle.

“Both are illegal to use in a built-up area.

“The shoulder shot was meant to kill,” said Dr Du Plessis.

Two other people in her neighbourhood’s cats had also been shot in the past few months.

“I think it is sad that we cannot live and let live in our community.

“Children scream when they play outside, dogs bark and cats walk on walls.

“Apart from the fact that shooting Adam was a criminal offence, Adam suffered greatly.

“I had three hours sleep left on Monday morning after I had been to Pretoria and back, trying to save my cat’s life.

“Specialist veterinarian care cost a fortune, but I would do anything, like I am sure most other animal lovers would, to save their pets’ lives.

“Somebody is making our cats a shooting target and is either not thinking of the consequences,” said Dr Du Plessis.

According to Ms Jenneth Geel, senior inspector at the Highveld Ridge SPCA, it is a criminal offence to handle a weapon in a built-up area and they will take action against offenders.

Dr Du Plessis opened a case at the Secunda Police and got an investigator from Wetnose in Pretoria involved.

Adam was shot near or in 15 Faure Street on 17 November.

Dr Du Plessis urged anybody who has seen or heard anything to come forward with information.

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