Family angry after pet killed

Press, 2 August 1985, Page 1

Family angry after pet killed

A Woolston family of four are angry and upset after their cat, Sarah, was shot in the head and killed by an arrow on Wednesday. “If she had been hit by a car that would have been understandable, but an arrow — I couldn’t believe it,” said Mrs Robyn Stewart yesterday. Mrs Stewart said she found Sarah under a bush at her Rutherford Street home yesterday afternoon. The cat’s face was bleeding and mangled. “She was just sitting there, not wailing or anything. She gave a painful cry when I touched her, and I suppose she went into shock.” The cat was taken to a veterinary surgeon, who said she should be put down. It appeared at that stage that the cat had been hit by a car. “The vet rang back an hour and a quarter later and said he had pulled an arrowhead out of the cat’s head.” said Mrs Stewart.

The 7.5 cm steel arrowhead was embedded in the cat’s jaw. It appeared that someone had tried to pull the arrow out but could not, so had snapped off the shaft, she said.

Sarah was the pet of Mr and Mrs Stewart’s two children, Kirstie, aged 11, and Jamie, aged 10, who is physically disabled. “They both saw the cat. Jamie was not emotionally disturbed, although he has missed her. Kirstie was devastated,” said Mrs Stewart. “My husband was ropable. I hope they catch the people who did it.” Constable Garry Tibbots said that inquiries were made in the Woolston area yesterday to try to find the offender. He said that anyone with information about the incident could get in touch with him through the Christchurch police. Information would be treated confidentially.