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Oak Bay cat dies after being shot with a pellet gun

Deal Street cat put down after fatal wound discovered, police have no suspects
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Briggs the cat from Oak Bay was put down on Sept. 4 due to life-ending injuries caused by what appears to be a pellet gun and blunt force trauma. (Joelene Heathcote Facebook)

The owners of a cat that was shot, and the Oak Bay Police, are concerned that someone in Oak Bay has a pellet gun and could be using it to harm pets and animals.

Two-year-old cat ‘Briggs,’ which lived in Oak Bay, was put down last week after it was discovered it was suffering from a fatal wound believed to be caused by a pellet gun.

The Oak Bay Police Department was contacted after the owners of the cat were advised by the attending veterinarian to put it down.

Police are now asking the community for help as they believe someone knows who did this but police have no suspects as of Monday morning.

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“We don’t know the motive but we’re aware that, at times, some residents can be unhappy about cats being in their yard so that is certainly one possibility, among others,” said Oak Bay Deputy Chief Ray Bernoties.

Owner Joelene Heathcote posted the details of the incident to Facebook on Saturday. It occurred sometime before Sunday, Sept. 3, when the residential indoor-outdoor cat returned to its home on Deal Street. The cat immediately appeared very ill.

On Monday, he was put down, Heathcote wrote.

“He was the most loving pet our family has ever had.”

When he returned home on Sunday it was after several days away and he “was not himself,” she added. “When we took him to the vet, x-rays showed he had been shot in the belly with a pellet gun and had suffered blunt force trauma to his body and, his insides were ruptured.”

As Briggs matured from a kitten he soon lived a life of mystery. He started as an indoor-outdoor cat but on his travels, he would enter open doors and windows of homes as he was so fond of people and also children. It led to him being fed by others and was confused about where he lived. Heathcote often wondered what was wrong with him, and accepted that he became a wanderer.

Now, Heathcote can’t help but wonder if this would have happened if so many people hadn’t fed Briggs so often during his travels.

Oak Bay Police have conducted extensive neighbourhood inquiries but are left with no new information, Bernoties reported, adding Animal Control was contacted and there had been no similar incidents.

Anyone with information regarding the incident can anonymously call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or visit the website victoriacrimestoppers.ca.

reporter@oakbaynews.com


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